On a recent assignment to Milan, Italy, Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, viewed Leonardo da Vinci’s masterful mural of the “Last Supper” painted on a wall in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
While many artists have portrayed the sacred scene of Jesus Christ with His apostles, Sister Browning said she was captivated by da Vinci’s version. “It felt almost alive and, whether intentional or not, captured a certain declaration of faith that moved me,” Sister Browning related during a devotional address at Brigham Young University–Hawaii on Tuesday, May 20.
Since her time in Milan, Sister Browning said she has “carried some questions home with me,” such as “how can our life’s masterpiece be as intentional and as purposeful as da Vinci’s brushstrokes? How do we discover the divine gifts we’ve been given, and how do we use them to create a life centered on Jesus Christ?”
With the Cannon Activities Center — the largest venue on the Laie, Hawaii, campus — getting a refresh, students and faculty gathered in the David O. McKay Auditorium for the late morning devotional.
In her remarks, Sister Browning testified, “Your life’s composition is currently a work in progress, and I testify that as you focus on the Savior, He can transform your talents into tools for good, your efforts into acts of faith, and your life into a masterpiece that testifies of the greatest Master, even Jesus Christ.”
‘Mortality invites us to be creators’
Time in mortality is a critical phase within God’s divine framework that allows individuals to have experiences that can anchor them to Jesus Christ and ultimately enable them to return to His presence, Sister Browning explained.
“Mortality, therefore, becomes the canvas for much of the self-directed experiences that the gift of our moral agency inspires us to paint our choices and actions upon. Mortality invites us to be creators,” she said.
Recognizing the divine impulse to create can lead individuals to discover their gifts and talents and what the Lord wants them to do with those talents.
The scriptures affirm that all are given divine capabilities, Sister Browning explained, and one of the most powerful ways to begin discovering them is to pay attention to the Holy Ghost. “Spiritual affirmations can help us see the full picture of who we are becoming in the Savior’s hands.”
Some might have gifts that are musical, artistic or intellectual while others could have gifts such as resilience, kindness or insight. “God’s gifts are as diverse as His children,” Sister Browning said.
Quoting Apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund‘s most recent general conference talk, Sister Browning explained that in the parable of the talents, Jesus teaches that talents are not meant to be hidden or dormant, but to be developed for a greater purpose. They should also not be compared with others. “That we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to Him. And it should be to us” (“Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior,” April 2025 general conference).
Centering on Christ
As she stood in front of da Vinci’s masterpiece in Milan, Sister Browning said she noticed how da Vinci centered everything around Jesus Christ.
“The Savior is centrally placed, and all the emotional energy that each of the apostles is displaying is directed toward Him, making Jesus Christ the focal point of the scene,” Sister Browning observed.
Likewise, individuals can intentionally point their lives to Jesus Christ. “There are habits we can cultivate to ensure that the rhythm and energy of our life is directed toward Him,” she said.
Steady and sincere efforts in daily worship — prayer, scripture study, covenant keeping and service — can be the straight lines that guide one’s life toward the Savior.
“Just as da Vinci used perspective to lead every viewer’s eye to the Savior, the habits we build and the priorities we set can direct our own hearts toward Him. In this way, our daily devotion becomes both a spiritual discipline and a visual testimony,” Sister Browning said.
Distinctive discipleship
“Our personal discipleship in Jesus Christ will cause the mural of our lives to look distinctly different from the patterns and values of the world,” Sister Browning continued.
Relationships, education, religious observance, employment and other pursuits can bring light, depth, movement and emotion to individuals’ canvases. But, “sometimes, our most sacred acts of creation are deeply personal and relational,” Sister Browning said.
Individuals can create peace, trust, belonging, hope and safety. “Every moment we choose to reflect the Savior in our ordinary settings, we participate in the divine work of creation,” Sister Browning taught.
She testified, “Our efforts to be creators are not to be relegated merely to hobbies or side pursuits; they’re integral to our eternal identity and purpose. Every choice to live according to faith in Jesus Christ — whether it’s nurturing your testimony, strengthening your family, lifting a neighbor, fulfilling a calling, or standing as a witness of Christ — becomes a sacred contribution to God’s work of salvation and exaltation.”
