I noticed the beautiful ring my friend Errin wore on her right hand right off. She never took it off. Something in me knew there was a story behind that ring. It took a while before I had the courage to ask her about it.
“It’s my CTR ring,” she said.
I thought this was a bit peculiar, as I knew perfectly well what a CTR ring looks like. For those of you who may not know, CTR stands for “Choose the Right.” Anyone who’s grown up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, probably received a little ten cent ring a few times over during his or her childhood years. It’s meant to be a physical reminder for us to choose the right.
This ring of Errin’s didn’t look anything like a CTR ring. Just as I’d thought, there was a story behind this ring.
She had a sister-in-law who was a big time alcoholic. As Errin wrote:
“In her early 40’s she had to have a liver transplant because she destroyed hers. When you have a liver transplant they put you on medication to help your body accept what it considers a bad object because it is not your. There are four levels of the medication and you are to start on level one and slowly over time get to level four.”
Errin told me level four is bad, but you shouldn’t have to go on it until much later in life.
“My sister-in-law had to start on level four because her body was rejecting it so much. We got to keep her around for ten more years when she finally could not resist the temptation any longer and started to drink again. It did not take long for her body to kill the liver that was given to her.”
This young woman loved jewelry, especially rings. If there was ever something she wanted for birthdays or Christmas, it was another ring. When her life was over Errin went to her brother and asked if she could have one of those rings. Why?
“I use it as a CTR ring to remind me what addictions do.”
CTR rings come in all shapes and sizes now, but their purpose is the same. L. Tom Perry, a latter-day apostle of the Mormon Church, taught us that the Lord has given us symbols such as these to help remind us to choose the right, to stay on the Lord’s side, to remain on the right course.
“Moreover, I suggest that each of you find or create reminders to help you and your loved ones choose the right when a choice is placed before you. There is a power in…a CTR ring…if we associate them with our desires for ” (L. Tom Perry, “Choose the Right,” Ensign, Nov. 1993).
Beyond physical reminders, Perry invites us to find within ourselves the “conviction deep down in our hearts to live the kind of life that will cause us to make the right choices, not only for peace and happiness in the world right now, but also for peace and happiness eternally.”
My friend watched what an addiction to alcohol did to her sister-in-law, who she dearly loved. She does not want to make the same mistake.
If there is someone in your own life who is making bad choices, particularly ones that you want to stay away from, find something that reminds you of this every day. It doesn’t have to be a ring. It could be a necklace, a tie tack, a pin, or something you hang on your backpack. Choosing the right can only bring you happiness.
