Amid the crowds of departing general conference attendees, protestors, and a bagpipe player along the perimeter of the conference center, Fabian Padron and three family members each held four fingers above their heads.
The Latter-day Saint family had driven 28 hours from Monterrey, Mexico, to see general conference for the first time. Finally in Salt Lake City, they only had one obstacle to overcome — they had no tickets.
Every year, dozens of members from around the world with no tickets travel to Salt Lake City hoping to watch general conference in person.
While many hold signs, others will hold up their fingers, and seasoned conference goers know exactly what they want. Attendees with extra tickets regularly give them away to those who ask. It’s not always a guarantee, however, as several people remained outside as the final conference session proceeded.
Watch the video above to learn why some families took the risk to come to conference.
A mother and her son try to get tickets to conference. Photo credit: Mario Miguel
“We’ve heard a lot that the Tabernacle Choir sounds impressive, so that’s one of the reasons why we want to go in … and enjoy the messages of each of our leaders,” Padron said.
“I love to be in the conference room, and you feel the Spirit more, it’s great,” said Agustin Luna, an Argentine native living in Utah who was looking for tickets with his wife.
“I guess it’s more spiritual for us because we always see it through TV, but I always end up falling asleep in TV, so I think it’s going to be better in person,” said Raul, a teenage boy from El Paso, Texas trying to get tickets with his family.
