Stake Conference...

Well, we went to stake conference this last Sunday. I must say, the talks were great, what we heard of them...

This stake conference was a huge one where lots of stakes were invited to attend from the county and I think even from a few other counties. Most stakes watched the event from their respective stake buildings. However, we were told in our ward that we were to go to the Marriott Center to attend. That was all the information we received. Our Relief Society president even told us that it wouldn't be broadcast in our stake building or anywhere else in Provo...hmmm.

Anyway, we leave our house a little late (about 10 minutes till the hour). I knew we were running a little behind, but that is the nature of things sometimes. We drive up to the Marriott Center, not sure how many people (at the time) had been invited, etc. There was obviously no parking anywhere near, so we kept wandering around till we found the nearest spot to park - south of the Law School building, which is more than 1/2 mile away from the Marriott Center (i have measured that with my bike before).

Well, we start walking, which isn't all that fun since we hadn't prepared to walk that far. I have on Sunday shoes that don't do well with a badly in-grown toe nail. Amy has on some shoes that give her blisters. We have Henry to carry and it's about 90 degrees out.

We got over half way to the Marriott Center and noticed a bunch of people walking towards us, away from the MC. No one says anything to us, so I ask if there is any room in the Marriott Center. They say no and that they were told to go to the Wilkinson Center. So we turn around and go back to the Wilk, which is basically where we began walking from. We go into the theatre there and there is essentially no room. So we head to the ballroom, where there is plenty of room. Of course it is now 20 minutes past the hour and we have missed most of the first talk (President Samuelson).

Then, at the half-way break/song, apparently a bunch of people at the Marriott Center were told to go to the Wilk. By the time they left and showed up in the ballroom, the break was over and President Monson's talk was in progress. Of course about 100 people walking past you over wooden floors and with sunday shoes on isn't exactly quiet.

Finally things settled down and we were enjoying the talks...until 20 minutes till the end, and the video machine and sound both died. Logically there was no one there to fix the problem, so we all sat there hoping that it would turn back on, which it didn't. The official ushers and the Wilk manager on duty just stood outside the ballroom and laughed/stared, doing nothing. Everyone, including us, got up and left.

So, we missed 40 minutes of the conference and I was sufficiently annoyed. I did love the portions of the conference that we were able to hear and we did beat all the traffic going home.

It is hard for me to understand how dumb that whole situation was because I have done event planning for a number of years and know that BYU and Church Admin people know better. Even if we had left 1 hour before it began, it wouldn't have mattered - it might have changed things for us, but others would have still had to bother with it all. After all, there was obviously not enough room for all they invited. If we had all shown up an hour early, there still wouldn't have been room for everyone - both in terms of seats and parking.

Well, it was a strange, frustrating, but nice all in one experience. An odd day, for sure.

I guess it is a lot like our lives these days. Frustating, inconvenient, and difficult, but overall, worth the bother. right?!

Adam