Choosing the Right

I’ve always loved the song “Choose the Right” (LDS Hymns, 239). There’s one particular verse that always catches me a little off guard, even though I know what’s coming. “Choose the right, when a choice is placed before you. Choose the right, there’s safety for the soul.” Those are pretty powerful words…”There’s safety for the soul.” In this world where every time we turn on the TV or just walk outside of our front door we are faced with fear and wickedness, it’s nice to be reassured that when we make the right choices, we will be safe.

Choosing the Right for the Future

I have two nephews, 5 and 3. They are so fun and vivacious. The little guys were visiting at my house not long ago and I noticed the 5-year-old was wearing a ring. I looked closer and I saw that it was a CTR ring. I asked Cameron about his new ring and he told me, beaming, “Jen, this is my CTR ring. It helps me to choose the right.” And he’s right. That little piece of jewelry can help us to make the right choices and to navigate our path in this life.

CTR Rings in School Years

After that day with my nephews, I started thinking about my own life and the choices I’ve made. I’m convinced that one decision I made in the 7^th grade, that one decision to not go with my friends after school to drink wine coolers, made all the difference in my life. I’ve thought often about the day I was faced with a choice to stray from my values and follow the crowd. I distinctly remember looking at my hands, seeing my pink CTR ring, and then having the courage to say, “No thanks.” That day, I not only walked away from a dangerous situation, but I walked away from my friends. That one decision to choose the right changed the entire course of my life.

Tungsten CTR Rings for Our Day

We no longer have to wear those cheap silver and green CTR rings we got in Primary. We can upgrade our CTR rings to match our adult lives. A Tungsten CTR ring is strong. It never bends and it never scratches. Isn’t that such a great analogy for choosing the right…”never bending, never scratching.” When we wear a Tungsten CTR ring to help us stay true to our values, we will shine just like the beautiful piece of jewelry on our finger.

I’ve thought a lot about my interaction with Cameron that day as he told me about his CTR ring and I’ve come to the conclusion that the hymn “Choose the Right” is dead on. There is safety for our souls when we make the right choices and choose to stay close to our values.