Somebody please explain seat saving in church?

[Traveler]

What makes you think you are the only one on this forum that attends those things?

For all the time I spend on the forum - I do not recognize anyone from here at temple square.

The Traveler

[pam]

For all the time I spend on the forum - I do not recognize anyone from here at temple square.

The Traveler

Oh but you are so wrong. Look at my profile pic. I'm at temple square all the time.

[aruth5000]

My parents had 12 kids getting us all to church at the exact time was impossible so our dad and brothers that would go in to church early to help set up sacrament would always save us a bench ... in reality I see nothing wrong with it.. what's so wrong about wanting to be able to sit with ALL of your family?

[Guest Doctrine]

In the old church of New England people reserved church seats they even had engravings on the bench with there names on it, I suggested ( joking of course ) why don't we save seats like that in our church and when the family's move away there seats go to the next family on the list.

Also I know about people always sitting in the same place every week my family does.

And everyone knows I sit there so I even left for a year and when I came back I found out that no one sat there for a whole year, until I came back with my family.

But now that there are many new family's in the ward my seat is taken about every other week but I don't mind I just sit a few seats up or down.

[Magen_Avot]

I've seen this in many places.

One Sunday my family and I sat on the back row and a ruffled old woman called me out about it immediately after sacrement. She said "that" row was for the elderly and infirm and refused my attempts to justify using my priesthood office and rather soft around-the-middle qualities.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Magen_Avot

[mnn727]

My parents had 12 kids getting us all to church at the exact time was impossible so our dad and brothers that would go in to church early to help set up sacrament would always save us a bench ... in reality I see nothing wrong with it.. what's so wrong about wanting to be able to sit with ALL of your family?

Sorry, but the underlined is just not true. It may be hard, it may take some planning, it may take an extra vehicle, but its not impossible.

[Gwen]

I agree that though it may not be impossible I'm not sure I see an issue with the situation she described (not too different than my own). Part of the family goes to help get things ready and they save only what is needed for their immediate family. I'm assuming that because they are there working ahead of time they are around and not showing up putting books down and then going home again or putting things out at wed night activities to sit there until Sun. That would be rude in my opinion.

[Bini]

Sorry, but the underlined is just not true. It may be hard, it may take some planning, it may take an extra vehicle, but its not impossible.

That was their planning. Father and sons would arrive to church early, and the rest of the crew would show up in the next leg. I can't imagine organising 12 people in a timely manner, unless, it's done like this. One group goes ahead and the other group follows. It makes sense that they had family sit on a bench waiting for the rest of the gang to show up.

[talisyn]

If you are willing to get there early and stay then have whatever seat you want. If having a seat is worth your time then it's yours.

As for city events the only time I've seen places "saved" more than an hr or so before by personally being there is when someone lives on the parade route. Sometimes ppl will tape off their property so ppl don't trample it or they will have friends invited to watch the parade from their home. But if you own the land I see it as your right. lol They are not allowed to block the public sidewalk in front of their home.

edit: Just remembered something kinda funny about saved seats in church. When I got to our branch 12 yrs ago it was an older branch with no children so there was no designated "mother's area". With my first pregnancy I requested a proper chair to nurse in. They didn't get us one until I weaned my 4th. When I had my 5th we had a sister with an illness and the only way she could come was to have that chair so I didn't get "my chair". By the time she was better I had weaned my little one and we had a family here for a short time that had a baby so that mom got the chair. Now that I'm expecting again we have an 80something yr old member of the branch presidency that can't stay the whole 3 hrs unless he sits in a proper chair. So now the "mother's chair" is in the chapel for him....... so I still don't get "my chair". lol

Nurse in the chapel. I will bet (if I did bet) that you would get a good chair within the month

[annewandering]

lol The time we had an 'issue' with this we found a side pew with NO one in it. Imagine our surprise when we were told the pew was taken! They told us we had to move because it was THEIR pew. And no there were no coats etc. After all EVERYONE important already knew it was their pew.

[talisyn]

Police arrest man after fight over seat saving at LDS church | FOX13Now.com

It was only a matter of time.

[Bananikka]

Doing this sort of thing. (As far as I'm concerned). :)

[pam]

And here is an article regarding seat saving at church:

Police arrest man after fight over seat saving at LDS church | FOX13Now.com

[Lakumi]

Though I've not been to any sort of church for over a decade (not counting weddings, though seats were pre arranged) I vaguely remember that existing in the Catholic and the United one, and other walks of life like the bus, food court, school, doll meet with my friends (I had to perch on a step ladder like a bird)

etc

[Smudge]

This whole discussion makes me think of the sunday school lessikn we had. Where someone went lest active over seats at the dedication of Kirtland Temple.

[annewandering]

And here is an article regarding seat saving at church:

Police arrest man after fight over seat saving at LDS church | FOX13Now.com

I read that story this morning, Pam. My first thought was wondering who was arrested. The seat saver or the person wanting a seat.

Seat savers can be very territorial and RUDE. If I didnt believe in the church so strongly, there was an incident where I would have walked out and never ever come back.

[Guest Doctrine]

It feels weird that we were just talking about this then it happened, spooky, lol.

[annewandering]

It feels weird that we were just talking about this then it happened, spooky, lol.

That was my thought as well!! Helps drive the point home though!

[BenRaines]

We should have an area for those with handicaps and the elderly. All the rest is first come first served. We raised four kids and were at church 15 minutes early every Sunday of their lives. We got the seats we wanted and never had to save. Went half an hour early to Stake Conference and got the seats we wanted.

That is the way I see it. No saving. No reason no excuse.

Ben Raines

[annewandering]

We should have an area for those with handicaps and the elderly. All the rest is first come first served. We raised four kids and were at church 15 minutes early every Sunday of their lives. We got the seats we wanted and never had to save. Went half an hour early to Stake Conference and got the seats we wanted.

That is the way I see it. No saving. No reason no excuse.

Ben Raines

That is a brilliant idea.

[skippy740]

Police arrest man after fight over seat saving at LDS church | FOX13Now.com

It was only a matter of time.

I can see the rest of the Sacrament program progressing something like this:

"And now we will continue our Sacrament service by hearing from our youth speaker who is speaking on 'turning the other cheek'...

... We'll have a rest hymn, which is a change to the program, we'll sing #294 - Love at Home.

... And we'll conclude with our high councilman with a thorough discourse on D&C Section 98 on knowing when your enemy has been delivered into thy hands.

We'll proceed to that point."

[Anddenex]

As has been mentioned it is not a Utah thing. I grew up in California and people did the same thing.

How does one differentiate between saving seats and a family member who arrives a few minutes before his family and grabs a side pew.

I have wondered when I have sat down at a pew, been there fro more than 10 minutes, and then go up to get a drink, while leaving my case letting people know, someone is sitting here. When I return, from getting a drink, there is a family sitting in the spot I just left.

I come over, grab my bag and then find another seat. I wonder if these people think to themselves, "Well, you shouldn't save seats...sorry buddy."

I don't have any problems myself with a family member who arrives early and saves a seat for his family only. It bothers me when a person saves seats, and they take up two rows and expect others to be "polite" because this is church.

I especially do not like it when people try to save seats without anyone sitting in the seat.

[carlimac]

This is such a petty thing. For heavens sake. Just go find somewhere else to sit. (Not directed at you Anddenex specifically. Just anyone who makes an issue of it.)