General Conference Empty Seats

[bjornagain]

My wife and I attended the Saturday morning session. We were surprised to see so many empty seats, I would say about a third of the seats were empty, entire sections in the back areas with nobody in them.

I know there is no shortage of locals that would love to go. I can't imagine they would have trouble filling the seats if they really wanted to.

Does anyone have any idea why the empty seats? A friend speculated that people were staying away because of Covid, but I don't think that's it. People in Utah are really not worried about Covid any more. Nobody at conference was wearing a mask.

Is this normal? We went to the final Sunday session a few years ago (pre-covid) and it was full.

I have a theory, no idea if it's correct. There are a lot of fake converts right now, via immigration. The LDS church (and many other Christian sects) are 'converting' recent immigrants and adding them to their roll books, but these are mostly fake converts, people that just got here and don't know anybody, and are looking for handouts and assimilation. There is no doubt that the church goes out of their way to give conference tickets to non-whites. I can see that with my own eyes. So maybe they are offering tickets to a lot of 'converts', the converts are like, 'uh okay, thanks', then don't bother going. Just a theory.

[Lizzy60]

I heard that you had to either be vaxxed for covid or provide a recent negative covid test. I don’t know if this was the case or not, just something someone said.

If that was the case, I wouldn’t have gone, because I won’t do either one.

[EmmaLee]

The prevailing theory seems to be they kept the numbers low due to limited parking due to the destruction of the SL temple and area. But it appeared that the CC was almost full for some of the other sessions, so that theory doesn't really pan out.

[HereWeGo]

I thought I had heard that they were intentionally giving out only about half of the tickets that they could. I asked others and they had heard the same thing but none of us knew why.

[CuriousThinker]

My wife and I attended the Saturday morning session. We were surprised to see so many empty seats, I would say about a third of the seats were empty, entire sections in the back areas with nobody in them.

I know there is no shortage of locals that would love to go. I can't imagine they would have trouble filling the seats if they really wanted to.

Does anyone have any idea why the empty seats? A friend speculated that people were staying away because of Covid, but I don't think that's it. People in Utah are really not worried about Covid any more. Nobody at conference was wearing a mask.

Is this normal? We went to the final Sunday session a few years ago (pre-covid) and it was full.

I have a theory, no idea if it's correct. There are a lot of fake converts right now, via immigration. The LDS church (and many other Christian sects) are 'converting' recent immigrants and adding them to their roll books, but these are mostly fake converts, people that just got here and don't know anybody, and are looking for handouts and assimilation. There is no doubt that the church goes out of their way to give conference tickets to non-whites. I can see that with my own eyes. So maybe they are offering tickets to a lot of 'converts', the converts are like, 'uh okay, thanks', then don't bother going. Just a theory.

Did you have to take a Covid test before you went, or show you were vaxxed?

[tribrac]

The prevailing theory seems to be they kept the numbers low due to limited parking due to the destruction of the SL temple and area. But it appeared that the CC was almost full for some of the other sessions, so that theory doesn't really pan out.

Is that what you saw?

I'm puzzled because every crowd shot I saw showed empty seats. Lots of empty seats. Did I miss something?

[Mamabear]

Maybe they scared of people yelling about molestations during the sustainings?

[EmmaLee]

The prevailing theory seems to be they kept the numbers low due to limited parking due to the destruction of the SL temple and area. But it appeared that the CC was almost full for some of the other sessions, so that theory doesn't really pan out.

Is that what you saw?

I'm puzzled because every crowd shot I saw showed empty seats. Lots of empty seats. Did I miss something?

Yes, pretty much. We noticed in the Saturday morning session, that it seemed at least 1/2 empty. The rest of the sessions, Sunday's especially, it seemed almost full, but still had some empty seats. I didn't analyze it though - just a passing observation.

[Niemand]

They used to get a substantial contingent of elderly people, and a smaller group of people with assorted physical disabilities.

Thanks to the church's constant fear mongering, some of them are too scared to attend. It's their own doing.

We have the same issue locally.

[Allison]

They could solve that by going back to the Tabernacle. My husband was just saying how he missed having Conferences there. It was so iconic.

[bjornagain]

Did you have to take a Covid test before you went, or show you were vaxxed?

No nothing like that at all. We're not vaccinated and weren't asked for a test.

[bjornagain]

The prevailing theory seems to be they kept the numbers low due to limited parking due to the destruction of the SL temple and area. But it appeared that the CC was almost full for some of the other sessions, so that theory doesn't really pan out.

There could be something to this. We had to park pretty far away.

[bjornagain]

I heard that you had to either be vaxxed for covid or provide a recent negative covid test. I don’t know if this was the case or not, just something someone said.

If that was the case, I wouldn’t have gone, because I won’t do either one.

Definitely not. We're not vaxxed, nobody was asking for tests, no masks, no Covid restrictions at all.

[bjornagain]

They used to get a substantial contingent of elderly people, and a smaller group of people with assorted physical disabilities.

Thanks to the church's constant fear mongering, some of them are too scared to attend. It's their own doing.

We have the same issue locally.

I really don't think this is it. There are many hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people in the immediate area that would love to go. My ward is packed every week.

[Niemand]

They used to get a substantial contingent of elderly people, and a smaller group of people with assorted physical disabilities.

Thanks to the church's constant fear mongering, some of them are too scared to attend. It's their own doing.

We have the same issue locally.

I really don't think this is it. There are many hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people in the immediate area that would love to go. My ward is packed every week.

We have elderly people who've never come back. Prior to March 2020, they would be there every Sunday. I've heard the same elsewhere.

[Subcomandante]

Limited attendance was due to the parking issue due to the renovations going on in Temple Square.

But as Fred et al have mentioned, public transit is not problematic (by American standards). Most of the SL Valley is covered by busses and trains, and there is FrontRunner service up to Ogden or down to Provo.

It has more to do with status. Rich folks up in the benches wouldn't want to be caught with the riff-raff in the busses and trains. Which is a crying shame.

[Fred]

Limited attendance was due to the parking issue due to the renovations going on in Temple Square.

But as Fred et al have mentioned, public transit is not problematic (by American standards). Most of the SL Valley is covered by busses and trains, and there is FrontRunner service up to Ogden or down to Provo.

It has more to do with status. Rich folks up in the benches wouldn't want to be caught with the riff-raff in the busses and trains. Which is a crying shame.

Well, you have to admit that public transit users are typically less affluent. Some drunk. Others stink. Courtesy and thoughtfulness can be lacking. Sometimes bigtime. Have you ever ridden a Greyhound Bus? Would you let your 16 year old daughter ride a bus across the country? Sometimes the less fortunate are real good people. Sometimes not. Some people simply avoid the risk.

[Niemand]

Limited attendance was due to the parking issue due to the renovations going on in Temple Square.

But as Fred et al have mentioned, public transit is not problematic (by American standards). Most of the SL Valley is covered by busses and trains, and there is FrontRunner service up to Ogden or down to Provo.

It has more to do with status. Rich folks up in the benches wouldn't want to be caught with the riff-raff in the busses and trains. Which is a crying shame.

Well, you have to admit that public transit users are typically less affluent. Some drunk. Others stink. Courtesy and thoughtfulness can be lacking. Sometimes bigtime. Have you ever ridden a Greyhound Bus? Would you let your 16 year old daughter ride a bus across the country? Sometimes the less fortunate are real good people. Sometimes not. Some people simply avoid the risk.

I'm always amazed at how bad they are. I use buses here all the time and although they leave a lot to be desired that don't seem to have the issues of American ones.

[Thinker]

I'm always amazed at how bad they are. I use buses here all the time and although they leave a lot to be desired that don't seem to have the issues of American ones.

When I was a kid, my mom sent me on a (Greyhound) bus to see my grandma (California) & it was fine. But more recently, my sister (thinking it was fine as years before), took it with her baby & said it was awful - or she felt uncomfortable anyway with the types of people. Not sure if it’s her (she hasn’t had much experience with different types of people) or if indeed, the bus experience generally isn’t as safe as before.

Compared to bigger cities especially in Europe, US buses are much less convenient too (longer wait times, transfers, etc). It’s possible to get around via bus but unless you live close to a stop & your destination is direct, it’s a pain. And if there’s a choice, it makes sense to travel by car for a family of multiple people. So most - especially in UT travel by car.

The exceptions are luxury tour buses.

[bjornagain]

Limited attendance was due to the parking issue due to the renovations going on in Temple Square.

But as Fred et al have mentioned, public transit is not problematic (by American standards). Most of the SL Valley is covered by busses and trains, and there is FrontRunner service up to Ogden or down to Provo.

It has more to do with status. Rich folks up in the benches wouldn't want to be caught with the riff-raff in the busses and trains. Which is a crying shame.

Where are you getting the idea that it was about parking?

[bjornagain]

There was plenty of parking, you just had to walk a couple blocks. Where are people getting the idea that it's because of lack of parking? Is that what some church outlets said?

[EmmaLee]

There was plenty of parking, you just had to walk a couple blocks. Where are people getting the idea that it's because of lack of parking? Is that what some church outlets said?

Yes, that's what the Deseret News, etc., said on behalf of the Church -

https://www.deseret.com/2022/9/30/23381 ... conference

"The number of people inside the Conference Center will be limited again, but it will be 50% higher than it was in April"

"Attendance in the Conference Center will be limited to 15,000 — of a capacity of 20,000 — an increase from 10,000 in April. The limit is due to parking and accessibility concerns related to the construction on and around Temple Square."

And -

https://ksltv.com/507391/general-confer ... -and-more/

"According to a media release, because of extensive construction on Temple Square and the surrounding area, in-person attendance will be limited. Tickets will be required and will be distributed by ward and stake leaders."

[Jason]

I heard that you had to either be vaxxed for covid or provide a recent negative covid test. I don’t know if this was the case or not, just something someone said.

If that was the case, I wouldn’t have gone, because I won’t do either one.

my daughter went (byu provo student)...she didn't have to do either...and very anti-vax...

that has gone with the political wind...both there and at byu

[CMajor]

It was announced on the evening news that parking was a problem because of the construction. And seating would be limited. But just 13 blocks east of the conference center the University of Utah was packing in their 54,000 fans Saturday afternoon, they have a parking lot but nothing like the churches lot near the Jazz center. Many fans use TRAX to get around the parking problem.

During the rest hymn the camera's did not show the upper balcony at all, and the left and right sections of the first balcony were empty. In the afternoon they didn't pan much of the crowd or lack of.

[Allison]

It was announced on the evening news that parking was a problem because of the construction. And seating would be limited. But just 13 blocks east of the conference center the University of Utah was packing in their 54,000 fans Saturday afternoon, they have a parking lot but nothing like the churches lot near the Jazz center. Many fans use TRAX to get around the parking problem.

During the rest hymn the camera's did not show the upper balcony at all, and the left and right sections of the first balcony were empty. In the afternoon they didn't pan much of the crowd or lack of.

Sad. When the Conference Center was built, the Church was on such an upward trajectory, it was hard to imagine not having all of the seats packed all the time.