What do a stake president, a chaplain, an imam, the NAACP president and a police chief have in common? Breakfast!

Every October, Faith and Blue is held across the country. The West Jordan Police Department (WJPD) hosts a breakfast for religious and civic leaders to share needs, experiences and gratitude.

This year they were joined by new police department chaplains, representatives from The Point Church, Utah Christian Fellowship Church, Utah Multicultural Civic Council, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah Islamic Center and the NAACP Salt Lake Branch.

West Jordan Police Chief Jeremy Robertson recognized the impact of religious communities. They can act as a first line of support.

"Faith communities are places of comfort, guidance and help," Robertson said. "You often know when a family is struggling before anyone else does. Much of the work happens quietly, and we appreciate it deeply. People who are engaged with their community and with their faith--we rarely engage with them in a negative way. Keeping them busy doing positive things keeps us less busy."

The group prayed together, ate together and invited each other to events. The imam invited the group to a Ramadan break-the-fast dinner. A public relations representative for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invited the group to a temple open house.

Guests also took time to encourage each other with stories.

Chaplain Dave Block taught the "Biscuit Prayer":

"At a Sunday morning prayer breakfast, an old farmer was asked by the pastor to say the blessing before the meal. The farmer began, 'Lord, I hate buttermilk!' The pastor opened one eye and wondered what was going on. The farmer continued, 'Lord, I hate lard. And Lord, you know I don't care much for raw white flour.' The pastor opened an eye again to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.

"Then the farmer added, 'Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. We will probably be a little better.'

"Next time you eat a biscuit, maybe you'll think about the Lord."

Lt. Jennifer Faumuina, from the State Bureau of Investigation, spoke about the "spirit of aloha," which means treating others with respect, bringing peace and helping others.

"Judgment builds walls as well as creates assumptions, but curiosity builds something," she said. "I'm grateful for everyone here today that we can share in that curiosity, ask those questions as well as share that with our people. To have people not only feel heard, seen, but also valued will also help crime lose its foothold."

Chief Robertson ended the breakfast with a reminder for guests to carry the department motto into every interaction.

"'You matter like I matter.' It means your safety matters like mine. Your family matters like mine. Your concerns matter like my concerns."

By Erin Dixon