Original CTR Ring (1970s)

Modern CTR Ring (2008)

Creation
In the early 1970s, eight women assigned to a committee by the church coined the idea of the ring. Head of the committee, Noami W. Randall recommended that the church incorporate some kind of “badge of belief” into the doctrinal teachings for the boys and girls of the church. Norma Nichols, also a member of the committee said, “Back then boys didn’t wear necklaces and earrings, so a ring seemed like a good idea.” The idea for the shield seemed a was thought of as to shield its bearers from temptation, and the green background of the shield was used to symbolize the evergreen tree – a tree that stays true to its appearance as the seasons change. Once the design was finalized, Coy Miles – then president of a Salt Lake City jewelry company was contracted to design the actual ring, while Joel Izatt was asked to create the artwork for the teaching materials.

In 1970, Gordon B. Hinckley who was an apostle of the church at the time, officially announced the new “CTR” curriculum in a church-wide conference. It was to be implemented as a part of the doctrine being taught to children ages 6 and 7. As part of the new program, each child of the church was given one of the new CTR rings, taught its symbolic meaning, and also taught how it can help them make the right decisions in life. Since then, the saying “Choose the Right” and its concepts have been taught to all the LDS primary aged children of the church.

CTR Today
Beyond its teachings in the church, the CTR symbol has been put on more than just rings in over 30 different languages. Earrings, stationary, ties, bracelets, t-shirts and more that all bear the CTR shield have now become popular, especially amongst the youth of the church. Companies pay the LDS church royalties in exchange for rights to use the symbol on their own memorabilia. Thousands of CTR rings are sold through online retailers like CTR Ring Shop.com as well as actual brick and mortar stores, even Walmart. Members of the church throughout the world proudly wear their rings, shirts, and necklaces to show their commitment and devotion to the church, and to remind themselves to stand up for what is right.