After the song (Whenever I Hear the Song of a Bird is a good choice)and prayer has been said, begin by showing this video clip.






If you click the second button on the right above (on the video), you can make it full screen so everyone can see.



Share your thoughts with your family about the video. Personally, I love the message shared in those two minutes. ..."one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."..."You might say, 'I am not the creative type,...think again."..."something that did not exist before"..."You are a masterpiece."..."You will make the world a better place."

Next, share this concept. With God as our Father, we can do remarkable things. Here is what Joseph B. Wirthlin has to say in a talk entitled “The Abundant Life”.
"The third quality of those who live abundant lives is that they, with the help of their Heavenly Father, create a masterpiece of their lives.

No matter our age, circumstances, or abilities, each one of us can create something remarkable of his life.

David saw himself as a shepherd, but the Lord saw him as a king of Israel. Joseph of Egypt served as a slave, but the Lord saw him as a seer. Mormon wore the armor of a soldier, but the Lord saw him as a prophet.

We are sons and daughters of an immortal, loving, and all-powerful Father in Heaven. We are created as much from the dust of eternity as we are from the dust of the earth. Every one of us has potential we can scarcely imagine.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Question to ask: What does it mean to create a masterpiece?

What is a masterpiece by definition?

1. a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.
2. anything done with masterly skill: a masterpiece of improvisation.
3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind: The chef's cake was a masterpiece.
4. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.

Talk to your family about the greatest Masterpiece Maker of all. God has given us wonderful blueprints to follow by looking at His masterpieces. Note the attention to detail, the vibrancy, the uniqueness, the design, the functionality, and the depth of every creation. Obviously our Maker poured heart and soul into every creative effort.



Show some of the Lord's masterpieces through photographs you have around the house, from books, etc. Or, here are some web links you can use instead.{I suggest right clicking on the links and opening in a new tab.}
Here are some beautiful pictures of things in nature.
Read about the creation from the scriptures.
Explore the world with Google Earth.

After you have established the fact that Heavenly Father is a maker of masterpieces, have the family think of famous people that have made masterpieces of their lives. For instance, Handel, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo Da Vinci, C.S. Lewis, etc.

Take a look at some of the following websites about masterpiece maker Michelangelo before starting FHE. Decide what points from the websites you want to share with your family.
This article shows how he picks marble specimens directly from quarry to match the project. Here you can view his statue Pieta and then click on links on the page to view others of his great works. Look at the hand of the statue of David--you can see the veins, fingernails and lines of the knuckles!
In this article, it shows how Michelangelo just took away what didn't belong to reveal the masterpiece within.
Read about using Michelangelo's methods steps to make your own great design.

Show your excitement about Michelangelo's amazing accomplishments. As I was reading about Michelangelo, I kept wanting to read more and more and more. It was absolutely fascinating. Michelangelo was definitely a masterpiece maker.

We have talked about God and very famous people that are masterpiece makers, but, what about people that are not quite so famous? What about people that are masterpiece makers and yet their names may not be remembered 50 or 100 years from now? Here is one example.




Questions for the family: Did that father and son make masterpieces of their lives? Was the masterpiece something we could touch? No. Could we admire it in a museum? No. Could it be performed on a stage? No. Could it still be considered a masterpiece? Yes.

More questions: What about you and I? Perhaps you can think of some people who are just regular everyday people you know who are creating masterpieces of their lives? People that are pouring heart and soul into their efforts. People who are using their gifts. Someone rearing a household of foster children? Someone anonymously serving others continually? Someone knitting sweaters by the thousands to give to those who have none? Someone who endures great suffering yet shows us all how to be cheerful? Someone who painstakingly and lovingly attends to a beautiful garden?

Teach: There are good examples all around us of people using different gifts to create masterpieces in their lives. Each of us is blessed with at least one wonderful gift that we can expand to the fullest extent possible.

How do we know what God wants us to do?

The answer is simple. Listen.



Refer back to the video. President Uchtdorf in the movie clip at the beginning counseled, “The more you trust and rely upon the spirit, the greater your capacity to create.”

The closing song could be I Am a Child of God to re-emphasize that because we are children of God, we are capable of being masterpiece makers.

For the treat, everyone gets to make their own masterpiece. I am posting the recipe for masterpiece dough separately since it would make this post very long. Click here for recipe and pictures.

To include toddlers, make a special emphasis on the pictures of God's creations. Help them learn new words to add to their vocabulary to describe some of those creations. Very young children will love to make their own masterpiece treat as is evidenced in the pictures on the masterpiece dough post!