We took the front row because we'd been accused of being bad parents. Because I wouldn't let my kids run around unsupervised at school programs,touch everything in the store, made them stay with me, use please and thank you, tell the truth etc....

So we decided to sit in the first pew "In front of God, Bishop and everybody" so there could be NO DOUBT as to what we were doing with our kids!!!!

Had to protect ourselves from the gossip mongers.

Also weren't we setting a 'good example' when we took the kids out before they were disrupting the meeting????

Of course when there was an "event" in our ward the lazy visiting relatives would park their junk on the first 15 rows and not take their seats until half a minute before the meeting started. But God help you if you moved one of those purses over a little so you could sit down! You were soooooooooo RHUDE!!!!! How DARE you????

The Bishop refused to open the back of the chapel claiming those who were late didn't deserve to sit in the chapel. So some sundays we 'had no room at the inn' for our family to sit.

In my experience, gossip mongers do not care about the truth. It is about making themselves feel better about their parenting skills by demeaning yours. Unfortunately, sitting in the front row won't change that. That being said, why do you care what they say? It seems like you are doing what you feel is good parenting for your kids, hold your head high and let them gossip.
As for the lazy Bish, I would see this as a sign from above that we were meant to leave. ;)
When I was attending the Mormon church, people were very ugly and rude about saving seats and not scooting over to make room for people in their row. When I have attended other churches, people slide over with a smile, happy to share a seat when it was crowded. I have found everyone BUT mormons to be friendly and welcoming when we visit their church. Just my experience...

My parants did that with thair kids my brother and sister seem to have managed fine but it didnt help me any.

IThe first time my than nomo DH came to church, our then 5-year old had taken a bathroom break from his class. He never returned which we didn't now until some guy came to us whispering that our kid went to the parking lot, had gotten into our car, put the gear into drive and hit the car in front. Last time DH went (while we still were married)