Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi, Stake Conference, 26 April 1998, Sunday Session Taken from Stake History 1998
There is a very important counsel that President Krueger referred to: counsel between husband and wife. I ask you, when was the last time you took your wife to buy Big Macs? Oh, Brother Kikuchi, that’s not romantic. When was the last time you took your wife by the hand in the celestial room, after one or two sessions, and told her of your love? I want you to be romantic.
While I was serving in the temple, I almost lost my wife. She was hospitalized for a week. They ran all kinds of tests, except for a CAT scan. I found my wife had a tumor the size of my wrist watch right behind the eyeball. I begged the doctor to do a CAT scan. He said if the surgery is successful, she may lose her facial expression, her balance. She was in surgery for eight and a half hours. She said, “When I go, will you still love me? When I go, I may not come back.” I begged the Lord, if he wants her, and he takes her, that I can understand. All my life I tried to be a good husband. His will be done. The surgery was successful. She came back as the matron after 20 days. I say, be kind, sensitive to your sweet wife. You don’t know how long she will be there.
The Savior spent 18 months in Galilee, occasionally going down to Jerusalem, where he’d stay in the home of his friend Lazarus in Bethany. In the last days of his ministry, he came to Jerusalem. The triumphant entrance. The room reserved quietly for the Last Supper. He washed the apostles’ feet, summarized his teachings, told of the greatest gift that would be sent, the first comforter, the Holy Ghost. Last of all the Savior taught, “As I have loved you, love ye one another.”
They sang, and probably sang again on the way to the garden. He asked Peter, James, and John to watch with him. Though he pleaded and begged, the apostles were sound asleep while the Savior was pleading with God. After about an hour, he came back and asked them again to watch. So crucial, most painful. The angels came to sustain him. A third time he came, and they were asleep. Joseph Smith had a revelation, in the Doctrine and Covenants 19: 15, 18, where the Savior told him of the agonizing moment. Medically to sweat blood is unusual. No one could comprehend that trauma, to carry all the guilt and sins for all. What a virtue.
Now the time came, Judas brought the high priest, the soldiers; he was captured and taken to the high priest’s home. They spit on him, scourged him, beat him, shamed, scorned, humiliated him. The next morning he was taken to Pilate, who found no reasonable guilt; he was sent to Herod where he received the most shameful treatment, and then sent back to Pilate. They cried, “Crucify him. Let his blood be on us.” The cross, the thorny crown, whipped 40 times. Most people cannot survive 40 times. He just couldn’t carry the cross. The more I study the physical pain of the Savior, it is unbelievable. On the cross for 6 hours, said only seven sentences. The spirit was then ready to go.
Now to the part about the husband-and-wife councils. He looked down at Mary. Evidently she was a widow, with his brothers and sisters. It was very hard for him to talk. Hard to breathe. A great fever. John was a distant cousin, not a direct blood relation. He introduced Mary – this is your son. He introduced John – this is your mother. Afterward, the disciples took care of Mary.
I’m speaking to the boys today. We take care of our Heavenly Father’s daughters.