Choose The Right?

[tkdnick]

Probably just a quicky thread…What does “Choose The Right” mean? I see it on all kinds of my LDS friends’ stuff, but have never really figured out what it means. It’s not even proper English.

 

[flameburns623]

tkdnick:

Probably just a quicky thread…What does “Choose The Right” mean? I see it on all kinds of my LDS friends’ stuff, but have never really figured out what it means. It’s not even proper English.

Actually it is perfectly gramatical, and simply is a reminder to Mormons that when faced with a choice between the wrong and the right, always “Choose The Right”.

 

[tkdnick]

flameburns623:

Actually it is perfectly gramatical, and simply is a reminder to Mormons that when faced with a choice between the wrong and the right, always “Choose The Right”.

So if it’s a reminder to choose right instead of wrong, then it should be “Choose Right”. The “the” is not necessary. First time I saw it I immediately thought “What? Instead of the left?”

 

[catholic-rcia]

At our Easter Sunday Mass here in Northern Utah some from the Newman Center were selling CTR Bracelets for $5 to help build our new church.

The Bracelet read

“Catholics Totally Rock”

It was a big hit!

 

[flameburns623]

tkdnick:

So if it’s a reminder to choose right instead of wrong, then it should be “Choose Right”. The “the” is not necessary. First time I saw it I immediately thought “What? Instead of the left?”

I think there is a poem that says something like

"Choose the Day and shun the Night;

Forswear the Wrong and Choose the Right!"

That is a loose paraphrase drawn from memory. I don’t even know if this is the source or reason the phrase was adoped by the LDS.

In any case the word ‘the’ is inserted to emphasize that it it is not ‘rightness’ abstractly, but “THE Right!”–God’s rightness as opposed to a way which might ‘seemeth right to a man . . . .’. Hope that helps.

 

[tkdnick]

flameburns623:

In any case the word ‘the’ is inserted to emphasize that it it is not ‘rightness’ abstractly, but “THE Right!”–God’s rightness as opposed to a way which might ‘seemeth right to a man . . . .’. Hope that helps.

I still wanna know…can LDS “choose the left”???

 

[Steve_Andersen]

tkdnick:

… It’s not even proper English.

IIRC it is the imperative case so the subject is implicit and doesn’t need to be written

(Those presentation Sisters didn’t know much about math or science but, bless their hearts, they could teach you how to diagram a sentence)

 

[tkdnick]

Steve Andersen:

IIRC it is the imperative case so the subject is implicit and doesn’t need to be written

(Those presentation Sisters didn’t know much about math or science but, bless their hearts, they could teach you how to diagram a sentence)

Huh? You are WAY over my head!

 

[BJ_Colbert]

Tkdnick,

Choose the right came from a an LDS hymn, and when I was teaching children’s classes the 3 year olds were and still are I think, called the CTR class. It grew from that and came to be a kind of slogan for our youth and for adults too. The words of the song are as follows:
“Choose the right when a choice is placed before you. In the right the Holy Spirit guides: and its light is forever shining o’er you, when in the right your heart confides.” Chorus is: “Choose the right Choose the right! Let wisdom mark the way before. In its light, choose the right! And God will bless you ever-more” 2nd verse "Choose the right! Let no spirit of digression overcome you in the evil hour. There’s a right and a wrong to every question; be safe through inspiration’s pow’r. Chorus again and last verse"Choose the right! There is peace in righteous doing. Choose the right there’s safety for the soul. Choose the right in all labors you’re pursuing; Let God and heaven be your goal. Chorus again and that’s where CTR came from. That was really a fun question to answer.
BJ

 

[Steve_Andersen]

tkdnick:

Huh? You are WAY over my head!

It is basic English grammar

In the old days we were taught to “diagram” a sentence. It was a graphical technique to examine a sentence.
This meant that we could break down its parts and make sure that things like subject/verb agreement, verb tenses, and other rules were followed

It was (is) a great tool which unfortunately they don’t seem to teach anymore…something happened around 1975…it might have been disco

The women who taught me had mostly entered the convent as teenagers and hadn’t any advanced education… but they knew their grammar …God bless them

“Choose the right” is an order. It is what we call the imperative

It doesn’t require a noun or pronoun as a subject

“tkdnick choose the right” or “Choose the right, tkdnick” is implied

Anyone else out there remember how to diagram a sentence?

Or am I really the old, slow dinosaur I feel like sometimes?

 

[boppysbud]

If the was dropped from choose the right, then the cross “t” would be dropped form the cool rings the LDS kids wear.

Since AFAIK this is the only case in which Mormons wear the cross I say let them alone, grammar or not.

 

[momathome]

I hate to show my ignorance, but what’s AFIAK?

 

[bossyboots]

Hi,

I just have to tell you what one Missionary used to tell those interested in his CTR ring “Cook the Rice”

 

[boppysbud]

Mom it’s a typo … sorry.

It was supposed to be As Far As I Know.

 

[tkdnick]

boppysbud:

Since AFAIK this is the only case in which Mormons wear the cross I say let them alone, grammar or not.

I wasn’t asking this question in a totally serious way. I was curious what CTR meant and where it came from, but I was pretty much just joking about grammar and all that other stuff.