Tabernacle Christmas Choir New and Better Ticket Process!

So It's that time of the year again where I ponder and look up what The Church of Jesus Christ Tabernacle Choir (formerly known as the Motab choir for short or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir before our new prophet instructed the members to remove "mormon" and "LDS" From our definition) ticket process will look like for this year's Christmas concert. I for one am excited. 

According to the Tabernacle Choir blog The title reads 

"New Christmas Concert Ticket Process Gives Equal Chance for All"

I'm not sure how it's new compared to what they ended in 2015 but I am glad they have returned the so called "mormon lottery" 

Before I give my commentary on their blog let me give you my history trying to get tickets to theTabernacle Choir Christmas concert. In doing so, I hope you can understand why I have my opinions on what the church and ticket office could be at least considering in future decisions on ticket distribution.

This will be a quick version. 

  

In 2008 my wife and I moved to Utah from Arizona. My mom let us know about the concert and how to put in for a chance to get tickets. My wife and I put in our first request for tickets along with my mom and my sister. Back then you could request a max of 6 tickets. Non of us drew tickets that year. We made new friends who were able to get tickets through Parents who worked for the church. 

We tried our luck the next year, 2009, Again, no tickets. We also tried to get Devotional tickets and our bad luck prevailed. It was after this failed attempt that I started to do some blog spying. I wanted to find out how people were able to get tickets when I wasn't. This bad luck continued 2010, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Thankfully in 2013 we did get Christmas Devotional tickets but Christmas Devotional tickets our not as highly sought after as Christmas concert tickets. In 2010 David Archelletta had over a million request for tickets.(from rumors I heard) I believe it was 4 times the normal request for tickets. Our friends who's parents worked for the church once again got tickets.

Just a side note, when I say friends parents I mean our friends were a husband and wife couple. The husbands parents are "their" parents. So, Husbands parents, wife's in laws.

In 2016 they changed the ticket process from the "Mormon lottery" to a first come first serve. Finally! I thought I had a chance. At 10:01 a.m. I struggled for 5-6 minutes just to get 2 tickets. Every time I refreshed more and more tickets sold out. By 7 minutes every ticket was gone. I wasn't crushed but I did question why? My question was to God. Why are Missionaries, why are my friends, why are employees of the church, and why are choir members able to get so many tickets year after year and I am not able to?

2017 It was the same system. First come first serve. Before the lottery draw I decided to take advice from a sister missionaries blog I read. I  prayed for help. It worked for her when she wanted tickets, maybe it would work me. 

I felt it was an unfair advantage to pray for help. God loves us all. Yet I read in several blogs how people's prayers were answered while my attempts to get tickets kept getting kicked aside. 

So I prayed. 

I finally got tickets.

Yet the story does not end.

Because the ticket process is still unfair 😁

I loved the concert. It was awesome. When we sat down a group of 8 people sat by us. A kid around the age of 14 looked like he didn't care to be there. He wasn't dressed in formal clothes and he was non stop looking at his phone playing a game. I wondered how and why they were able to get 8 tickets while the max I could request was 4. P.s. I got 2.  After ease dropping in on their conversation I found out they had another 8 people in their group who were seated behind us in the lower balcony. Again I asked myself, how is it that this family was able to get 16 tickets when it took me 10 tries to get 2! Soon the answer was clear when they were trying to find a relative in the choir. 

A choir members was able to get 16 tickets.

Here's my question. Is that fair?. Given the circumstances that so many people want to go to this concert is it fair that the choir gets so many tickets? I get it. A person who is performing should have tickets for their family. But how many is fair and how can the ticket office get more people WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED the Christmas concert a chance to go. At least consider my suggestion.

First let's go to the Tabernacle blog and find out what new changes are able to give "equal chance for all" 

Just wondering. Does "All" refer to family members of the choir, general Authorities, or Employee's of the church?

From the blog.

"Hundreds of thousands of ticket requests are received each year. In order to give everyone an equal chance to get tickets, in 2019 the Event Services Ticket Office which distributes tickets for Choir events will use a random selection method for ticket distribution."

So it sounds like we are back to the old "lottery" system. But it does get better.

"Your registration will automatically enter you in the random ticket selection for two (2) tickets. The concert date for the tickets will be randomly assigned for either Thursday, Friday, or Saturday"

Did you get that? No more requesting more than 2 tickets.

I LOOOOVE THIS!

I really do. This will allow more households an opportunity to go. Some might say they can't bring their kids. I would have loved to go as a kid but I'm going to tell you. In my opinion. The concert is a perfect adult dating place. Kids are not going to appreciate the concert as much as two people in love.

Lastly.

"Registration is limited to once per household.

Patrons registering with an address other than their principal home address or registering multiple times may have all their registrations canceled."

2 tickets, one household. YES!!

Ok so now here is my suggestions on making the ticket process even better.

1. Reduce the amount of tickets that each choir member is allowed to have. Each household is only able to request 2. Can we at least get more tickets from these wonderful people in the drawing so more households get an opportunity to go?
2. Stop. Please stop giving tickets to church employees. Unless they are part of the production of the Christmas concert, they should have the same "fair" chance the blog claims everyone will have. They should be registered for the drawing like everyone else. 
3. I have not come across one blog that said a general Authoritie gave them tickets yet it's just common assumption that leaders of a church probably get tickets and maybe the best tickets. Middle row up front. I don't know. I'm just assuming. To this I leave this simple thought. Didn't president Monson come home from Germany shoeless?
4. Lastly, why are politicians getting tickets every year? I mean I get it. They are public figures. It makes sense to invite them to a public event but every year? Just my opinion. Unfair.

That's it for me. I am going to put in for tickets this year. I have never won at the Mormon lottery. Maybe this will be my year.