Mosiah 24:15; 1 Cor. 2:14; D&C 20:20; Moses 5:13; Book of Mormon 121-122 Student Manual, p. 55; Conference Report, Neal A. Maxwell, Oct. 1990, pp. 16-17
“The natural man is the earthy man who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclinations.” (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, Oct. 1974, pp. 160-161)
“At the one end of the spectrum, the natural man may be a person bent on lasciviousness; he may be one who loves Satan more than God and thereby is carnal, sensual, and devilish… . At the other end of the spectrum, the natural man may well be a ‘nice man,’ a moral and upright person bent upon benevolence. Such a person, acclimated to the present fallen world, still does not enjoy the enlivening powers of the Holy Ghost and does not enjoy the sanctifying power of Christ’s covenants and ordinances. Even though the light of Christ is making an impact on him, he has not followed it into the Lord’s full gospel truths… . And what of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Are any of us ‘natural’ beings? We can answer that question, perhaps, by examining some broad characteristics of the natural man: 1. The natural man is unable or unwilling to perceive spiritual realities (1 Cor. 2:14; Alma 26:21; Journal of Discourses 1:2). 2. The natural man is proud. President Benson explained. ‘We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of my will and not thine be done… . The proud wish God would agree with them’ (Ensign, May 1989, p. 4). 3. The natural man is overly competitive and externally driven. ‘Such people are tempted daily to elevate [themselves] above others and diminish them.’ There is no pleasure in ‘having something,’ only in ‘having more of it than the next man’ (Ensign, Benson, May 1989, p. 4). 4. The natural man yields himself to the harsh and the crude.” (Robert Millet, Ensign, June 1992, pp. 8-9)
“Men have become carnal. They have become enemies to God. They are seeking for their own advancement and not for the advancement of the kingdom of God.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, Apr. 1952, p. 27)