2 Ne. 26:29; 3 Ne. 16:10; 21:19; 30:2; D&C 124:84; 1 Cor. 2:4; 2 Kings 5:15-16, 26; 1 Peter 5:2; Journal of Discourses 13:55; Conference Report, Oct. 1954, p. 21; Hunter, CES Symposium, Feb. 10, 1989, p. 3
“Priesthood and priestcraft are two opposites; one is of God, the other of the devil. When ministers claim but do not possess the priesthood; when they set themselves up as lights to their congregations, but do not preach the pure and full gospel; when their interest is in gaining personal popularity and financial gain, rather than in caring for the poor and ministering to the wants and needs of their fellow men—they are engaged, in a greater or lesser degree, in the practice of priestcrafts.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 593)
“The anti-Christs such as Korihor and Sherem, openly rebel against Christ, while the user of priestcraft claims a belief in Christ but perverts his teachings.” (Monte Nyman, Book of Mormon Symposium, Aug. 1982, p. 67)
“Persons who write truth for the purpose of gain commit Priestcraft.” (Dallin H. Oaks, CES Symposium, 1985)
“The scriptural word for gospel service ‘for the sake of riches and honor’ is priestcraft” (Alma 1:16). (Dallin H. Oaks, Pure in Heart, p. 39)
“With a trained mind and a skillful manner of presentation, a teacher can become unusually popular and effective in teaching. But Satan will try to use that strength to corrupt the teacher by encouraging him or her to gather a following of disciples. A church or church education teacher or L.D.S. university professor who gathers such a following and does this ‘for the sake of riches and honor’ (Alma 1:16) is guilty of priestcraft. ‘Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion’ (2 Nephi 26:29). Teachers who are most popular (and therefore most effective) have a special susceptibility to this form of priestcraft.” (Dallin H. Oaks, BYU Fireside, June 7, 1992)
“Such a man or woman might serve in Church positions … in an effort to achieve prominence or cultivate contacts that would increase income or aid in acquiring wealth. Others might serve in order to obtain worldly honors.” (Dallin H. Oaks, Conference Report, Oct. 1984, p. 14.)
“There are some as wolves among us. By that, I mean some who profess membership in this church who are not sparing the flock. And among our own membership, men are arising speaking perverse things. Now perverse means diverting from the right or correct, and being obstinate in the wrong, willfully, in order to draw the weak and unwary members of the Church after them.” (Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, Oct. 1972, p. 125)
[Speaking to seminary & institute teachers] “There is a difference between developing and enjoying the needed rapport with our students on the one hand, and developing a following on the other… . We cannot always control how people feel toward us or what we teach, but we can strive to be certain that our own motives are pure. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I believe if I have begun to attract people to myself, rather than to the Lord, that I need to undergo some serious introspection. My colleague Joseph McConkie observed to this group some years ago: ‘Sometimes we get in our own way. We block the light because we are standing center stage when we should have stepped to the side and just let the [message] speak for itself. We cause what I call a spiritual eclipse.’ (CES Symposium, 8-82, p. 1). If I am driven more by ego than by a desire to lead people to Christ; if my desires for acclaim are greater than my desires to love and serve the Lord and his children, then my eye is not single to the glory of God (Matt. 6:22-23; D&C 88:67-68), and I will obstruct the light that might have been seen and felt. If, on the other hand, I am humbled to be in the presence of my students, sobered by the sacred assignment to instruct them, and fully cognizant of and willing to trust in Him who [is] the real Teacher and Converter, then I will have the privilege of witnessing miracles, men and women coming unto Christ and being perfected in him.” (Robert L. Millet, CES Symposium, Aug. 1993, p. 11)