By GENA PRATT
After 15 years of compiling research on respecting animals and the environment, a BYU graduate’s new book is filing a niche in religious literature.
BYU graduate Rick Stratton compiled the book, “Kindness to Animals and Caring for the Earth.” he book is a compilation of quotes by scholarly sources and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Stratton said he had only heard of two other books and a pamphlet on this subject. One of the books is out of print and the pamphlet is from over 20 years ago.
Stratton, who graduated from BYU in 1994 with a degree in wildlife management, started compiling quotes and stories during his first year at BYU.
“I’d do it when I got sick of whatever it was, you know, school or dating or whatever it was,” Stratton said. “I just went to the library and kind of consumed myself in this little endeavor.”
The research didn’t come easily, Stratton said. He spent hours in the library pouring over notes and searching books. Stratton said he spent so many hours compiling the book he couldn’t even guess the total number.
“I definitely have an appreciation for books now,” Stratton said. “I can’t imagine anyone doing this. I don’t know why anyone does. It’s a lot of work. It would’ve been easier to write it than compile it.”
After 15 years, Stratton’s research resulted in 141 pages. The book contains over 200 statements by scholars, scientists, frontiersmen of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and historians. About 90 percent of the quotes in the book are from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ.
“This book is much more than being nice to animals,” Stratton said.
The book focuses on doctrinal teachings about animals in the Church, creation, stewardship and respect for the environment.
“It says that we ought to be a very strong, yet gentle people,” said Aaron Kelson. Kelson, a professor at Msabi Community College in Virginia, Minn., knew Stratton when he was first researching the subject.
Stratton found a distributor for the book in August 2004 and individual bookstores started stocking their shelves with it in September. He estimated that there are 600 books in circulation right now.
“For me it was very rewarding to see it in print because these things were just so difficult to acquire,” Stratton said.
Charles Romesburg, a professor of environment and society at Utah State University, has known Stratton for ten years.
“He is very dedicated and very serious about this, about getting this message out,” Romesburg said.
Stratton said he tried to let the quotes organize themselves into topics and make the chapters flow. The book was organized to be a reference, with three indexes: one with key phrases from all quotes, topic index and a biographical sketch and author index.
“This book isn’t like a New York Times best seller, but it fills a really important niche,” Stratton said. “And when the right person sees it, it wouldn’t matter what it costs, they would buy it.”
Romesburg, although not a member of the LDS Church, said the book is particularly applicable to those of the LDS faith.
“It gives them a side of their religion that most don’t know about,” said Romesburg.
The book costs $16.95. With the exception of printing costs, all proceeds will go to The Humane Society and the LDS Perpetual Education Fund.
The book is available at the BYU Bookstore, Deseret Book, online at Stratton’s Web site www.kindnesstoanimals.org and at select independent bookstores.
Copyright Brigham Young University 4 Feb 2005
