A CTR Ring may be the most popular piece of Mormon jewelry, but someone not familiar with the faith may not know what the letters stand for.
Long before a Fundamentalist Christian thought of WWJD bracelets, Mormon children wore rings that stood conveyed the same message. Christians use the What Would Jesus Do bracelets as a reminder to act morally, and CTR rings serve the same purpose. The WWJD bracelets ask the hypothetical question of what Jesus would do; the Mormon message is much simpler and to the point. CTR stands for "choose the right".
The first time a Mormon child can get one of these rings is when he enters the CTR Sunday school class,a year before his or her baptism at the age of eight. Mormon church libraries sell the cheap tin ring for 35 cents, but the CTR emblem has become popular enough in church culture that jewelers have made CTR rings available in many different languages.
CTR Rings and Other Mormon Jewelry
Mormons frown on using the cross, a method of execution, as a religious symbol. This left ladies and men without jewelry with which they could express their faith. Eventually a Mormon entreprenuer decided to fill the void by using symbols that already existed in the religion such as the CTR Ring, the 10,000 Stripling Warriors, the Iron Rod, and the Angel Moroni that appears on almost every Mormon temple. The shield symbol with the letters CTR on it is a highly portable symbol that is recognized by every member of the faith.
The images range from the tacky to the tasteful, depending on the supplier, but they allow the wearer to make a definitive statement of their faith, as do the other religious symbols. Rings with the etching ETTE are sold alongside the CTR Rings. ETTE, Endure to the End, is another common element of the Mormon faith.
Recognizing a CTR Ring
All CTR rings, regardless of the material they are made of, are emblazoned with a shield and the letters CTR. The rings can be made out of tin for a child, or stainless steel, silver or gold for an adult.
CTR Rings have been part of Mormon culture for a long time, and jewelers merely capitalized upon a market, although a small one, in offering them. A person who wants to wear a CTR ring can find one either at a church library, where the rings aretoo small for adults, or through many online retailers. Jewelry is not the only thing the letters CTR can be emblazoned upon; shirts and basketballs bearing the shield can also be bought.
The reminder to choose the right should not be necessary, but the CTR rings can serve as a statement of faith or as a reminder during times of trials or temptation.
Souces:
The Official LDS Church Website
Honest Intellectual Inquiry Page
