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With a renewed focus on Sabbath day observance, many wards and branches have instituted ways to improve their Sunday worship services. From devotionals to bishops’ notes in the ward newsletter, the worldwide Church places a strong emphasis on keeping the Sabbath day holy.

And for most members that makes getting out of their pajamas and going to church a high priority on their list of must-do Sabbath day activities.

However, that’s not the case for a branch in Alaska. In a state where the weather gets bad and the roads become unpredictable, members of the Anchorage Bush Branch in Alaska meet over the phone.

According to Alaska Dispatch News, lifelong Latter-day Saint Brother Chip Sharpe shared how he and his family make the most of their uncommon Sabbath situation.

“Attending services over the phone is pretty unique,” Sharpe said. “My wife and I dress up in our Sunday clothes and we have a picture of Christ in the room we call from. We try to make it more than just our house. It is about feeling the Spirit and feeling good. We sing songs and hymns.”

Comprised of approximately 200 members from 36 families, the Anchorage Bush Branch calls in to the stake center in Anchorage from remote regions of western Alaska. While bigger communities like Bethel, Nome, and Kotzebue have LDS meetinghouses, areas in Alaska can be wide-spread and secluded, making it difficult to congregate weekly.

To read the full article, click here.