"To lie, steal, murder, envy, to be sexually immoral, neglect parents, break the Sabbath, and to bear false witness--all occur because one mistakenly seeks to please himself for the moment regardless of divine standards or human consequences."
"Of all influences that cause men to choose wrong, selfishness is undoubtedly the strongest. Where it is, the Spirit is not."
Gordon B. Hinckley (November 1988 Ensign, page 54)
"All sin is selfish, whether it be lying, cheating, stealing, immorality, covetousness, or idleness. Sin is for one’s own ends, not for another’s--certainly not for the Lord’s ends."
N. Eldon Tanner (General Conference Report, April 1967, page 104)
"Ironically, brothers and sisters, the natural man who is so very selfish in so many ordinary ways is strangely unselfish in that he reaches for too few of the things that bring real joy. He settles for a mess of pottage instead of eternal joy."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"A narcissist society, in which each person is busy looking out for number one, can build neither brotherhood nor community. Aren’t we glad in this Easter season and in all seasons that Jesus did not selfishly look out for number one? No wonder we have been told, 'Thou shalt have no other gods
before me,' and this includes self-worship! (Ex. 20:3; emphasis added). One way or another, the grossly selfish will finally be shattered, whimpering, against the jagged, concrete consequences of their selfishness."
"...rise above selfishness. This includes spiritual selfishness, when one looks toward personal edification and strengthening and has no other interest than one’s own salvation. To be blessed is not an end in itself; we must be a blessing to others. All people have a talent in one way or another to touch and inspire other people's lives. Let us not only look inward and proudly say 'all is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth' (2 Ne. 28:21), but let us be a light unto a chaotic world."
Hans B. Ringger
"What Shall We Do" - General Conference, April 1994
Benjamin Franklin (Lesson Enhancers, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1990, page 87)
"Think what a contribution selfish people of great talent could have made if their commitments had been made to Jesus Christ instead of to themselves! We will do better in every aspect of our lives if we commit to a God in whose life we see miracles, power over disease and death..."