From the depths of L.A.'s crime ridden streets to the heights of conversations with God, Richard Berry Whitaker's journey as a member of the LAPD and a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will invite you to witness his life, work, growth, challenges, grief, and ultimate triumph and faith in a living, loving God and His Son, Jesus Christ. You will witness Whitaker's close brushes with death time and again, where, like a cat with nine lives, he survives even more. You will feel the whisperings of Spirit as he is saved from death's cold fingers while angels protect him in tangible embraces. You will laugh one moment, read breathlessly the next and end your reading time wiping tears of joy or comfort or bittersweet sorrow. When the last page is turned and your last tissue tossed, you will know you have walked with the angels who watched over a man who loves God, family and country, and who defied the bounds of mortality because of the warriors from the other side who stood guard to assist him in completing his mortal ministry and mission. Your time will be well spent in the pages of this book, and your faith strengthened in a God who hears and answers prayers.
Richard Berry Whitaker is the father of seven children and grandfather of twenty-one. He and his wife Cheryle have served three mission assignments to South America for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one assignment in the Addiction Recovery Program in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Whitaker also served five years as the First Counselor in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission presidency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Whitaker is a retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective III. During his years on the department, he worked a number of assignments including patrol, plain clothes special operations, detective and administrative staff positions. While a detective he worked robbery, homicide, burglary and auto-theft. Whitaker holds a Bachelor of Independent Studies from Brigham Young University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.