Read "Think About it..." Online Warrior Stories  | Excerpts | News Articles | Poems
Rear Cover | Reviews | About the Book | About the Author | Order | E-Mail  |  Home

" Think About it..." mailed to your home for only $14.95   S&H included
A great gift for you or someone you love

True Police Stories

"Courage is the ability to move; when all around you are frozen in fear
and no one would blame you if you did nothing at all." Capt. Click. Phx. PD

My Name is J.R. Salima

Taken from the book Think About it... for your reading convenience

                                              I go by J.R. or Junior.
                    Most of my close friends don’t even know my real name.
   My testimony of the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
                        did not come by a great whirlwind, or by an awe-inspiring event.

It came by way of small occurrences. Each one adding upon the other, increasing my faith, a portion at a time. However, they were important and impressionable. Having been a member of the Church all of my life, it’s difficult to say exactly when I first felt the sweet spirit of the Holy Ghost, but I do know that I have felt the familiar “burning in the bosom,” testifying that the gospel was true.

Still, I wondered if it was when I was young, seeing my parents spend countless hours helping those less fortunate. It was then when I learned the lesson of love and charity. I wondered if it came when I often sat at the feet of my grandfathers, when they spoke of their years of missionary work in the Samoan Islands. It was then when I learned about humility and service. Yet, I wondered whether it came when I learned about testimonies and true brotherhood in the Aaronic Priesthood Boy Scout Program. It was then when I began to see myself as a young man and catching a glimpse of my eternal potential.

When I turned nineteen, I started feeling what I thought was a testimony, but little did I know that for the next two years, that feeling would grow beyond my youthful understanding. Serving on a mission to the American Indian people, on the many reservations of Arizona, I became closer to the spirit, relying on it each passing day to guide and protect me. I discovered that as I drew closer to the spirit, it drew closer to me.

                 I saw with my own eyes, miraculous workings of the spirit,
                                        that same Great Spirit that even the Indians spoke of.


I knew that my life and purpose on earth was no mistake. I knew at that time that the gospel was true. I saw it change the lives of many. Consequently, I found the American Indian to be a proud and humble people, despite their stereotyping, and I was fortunate to live and serve among them. As with any returned missionary, I saw my road in life clearly, and I was determined to follow it, as I had been taught. On my mission, one particular scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants, which the Lord says He is bound when we do as He says, impressed me very much. I believed that if I served diligently, the Lord would keep his promise and bless me with a good occupation. In October of 1974, when I graduated from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Academy and became a police officer, I felt the hand of the Lord in my life. I felt His direction and I knew this would be an honorable profession to raise a young family with.

Like many police officers, I saw and experienced many things that could challenge a testimony. Due to the nature of the job, we can become desensitized to the Spirit, relying on logic instead of inspiration. I had to work hard to keep my faith strong, because of the many calls and conditions that were not conducive to the spirit. I knew that if I were not careful, I could have been pulled away from the things I held dear, my wife, my young family, and even the Church. I also found out that  police work can be very hard on a marriage and I often found myself plagued with cynicism and a careless attitude.

          I saw myself change as I continued to work the streets,
                      becoming hard and unfeeling. Not only toward my loved ones
                                 but toward the very Spirit that had helped me so often before.


I learned that people change, some for the better and some for the worse, and I did not like how I was changing. It was a struggle to keep focused, attending my meetings, doing my home teachings, and even using my priesthood. But it’s interesting though, how quickly your perspective can change, when one day I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun pointed at me and the person on the other end of the gun saying, “You’re gonna die!” I had just answered a bank robbery call, and followed the suspect down a residential street, when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. He approached my patrol car, and there we were, face to face in a stand-off. I don’t know why he decided to drop his weapon, but I have an idea. I recalled saying to myself that day that I was too young to die and leave my family alone.

          It was at that very moment I promised myself
                       that I was not going to leave this earth in such an unprepared state.
                                                           This had been my wake up call.


I know without a doubt that the Lord had protected me that day. It was so that I could fulfill my true measure in life. I have learned that the Lord is mindful of me, and knows me as an individual. For more than twenty-three years now, having served in Patrol, Traffic, SWAT, Narcotics and other assignments, I have felt the touch of the Master’s Hand in my life. He has preserved my life countless times and I cannot deny His influence. I have served in a bishopric and as a high councilor for many years while as a police officer. I can assure any fellow brother or sister in blue, that the gospel can be lived to the fullest while serving your country, your community, from behind a badge.

It is the law of obedience that protects us and makes us stronger. All I need to do is look at my two sons serving on missions, my daughter active in Young Women’s and in school and the unconditional love my eternal companion of twenty-two years has for me and I realize how blessed I have been.

As we live the very laws we promise to uphold and protect, we can also live the greater spiritual laws. Our job is tough, and the rewards are sometimes hard to see. Our vision is dimmed by the constant pressure we must work in and live with. Still, we need all the help we can get, although we may find ourselves out-manned and out-gunned on the streets,

          I know that if our lives are in order and the Spirit is with us,
                                                  the best back-up we can get is not far away.

I know each day can be challenging, but I believe that the race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running. I know my testimony will be tried and tested, but I know that without it, I would be a mere shell of a man. Even though a bullet-proof vest is an essential part of my uniform, I know that my testimony, along with my priesthood, is the real armor that I take to the streets. It has helped me to continue running the race. I know that Jesus Christ lives and I know that this is His true church. It is my hope and prayer that I can someday say to my Savior, with a clear conscience,

                   “I have fought a good fight,
                                           I have finished my course,
                                                                   I have kept the faith...”

                                           Officer (&RM) Miller T. Salima Badge #9570


 

If you are or were a police officer, soldier, fireman
or wife, mother, father of such or some other branch of emergency personnel
and would like to share an unusual testimony building experience with others,
please contact us for details at

Samuel@ldscops.com

or use the link on the front page of this site at

www.LDSCOPS.com

Thank you and God bless,

Samuel-LDS

"Think About it..." mailed to your home for only $14.95   S&H included

Read "Think About it..." Online Warrior Stories  | Excerpts | News Articles | Poems
Rear Cover | Reviews | About the Book | About the Author | Order | E-Mail  |  Home

S&J Liberty Publishing
P.O. Box 7899   Mesa, AZ 85216-7899
A 317 page full size book, mailed to your home for only $14.95   S&H included