In God's very first commandment to His children, He told us, among other things, to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28). The word subdue literally means to draw or to lead from below. This is the example of how the Savior leads and guides and draws us unto Him. He descended below all things so that He could draw all things unto Him. If we are follow the first commandment to subdue the Earth and all things therein, then we must first humble ourselves so that we can thus lead from below all things. “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.” (D&C 121:41-46). Subduing has nothing to do with putting down or belittling others and everything to do with humbling and abasing ourselves and submitting to everything which the Father sees fit to inflict upon us. Only once we have been brought low can we then be exalted on high and then lead from below all of those who are willing to follow us from the depths back up to the heavens.
