Why would the Ringbearers wear their rings during the Fellowships' Quest at the risk of Sauron regaining the one ring?

Question

This question is similar but not entirely the same.

It seems to me that the bearers of the elven rings ran a great risk by wearing their rings whilst Frodo trekked to Mordor.

If at any time Frodo was captured & Sauron regained the ring, would he then not have immediate dominion over Elrond, Galadriel, and most importantly Gandalf? These are three very powerful & influential figures.

What would be Sauron's effect on these individuals? Especially how would Gandalf be affected?

Was Frodo's plan such a last ditch effort that they were willing to run this risk? Such a risk seems out of character for Gandalf.

Answer 1

A few things to note:

• It's ambiguous whether or not Gandalf was actually wearing his Ring during the events of the trilogy. This is perhaps nitpicking on your question, but it bears mentioning

• Sauron's control (probably) wouldn't be immediate. As I've discussed elsewhere on the site, the Elves have previously demonstrated the ability to roll a Will save that allowed them to remove their Rings before Sauron could master them. There's little reason to believe they couldn't do so again, though that might be moot because:

• Elrond implies that Sauron would be dangerous regardless of whether or not the Three were being worn or used. This one comes down to a little interpretation, but consider Elrond's words at the Council:

  [A]ll that has been wrought by those who wield the Three will turn to their undoing, and their minds and hearts will become revealed to Sauron, if he regains the One.

  ^{The Fellowship of the Ring Book II Chapter 2: "The Council of Elrond"}

  Recall that the Elves have been actively using the Three for thousands of years at this point; it's their power that allows the Elves to preserve the glory of the Elder Days in places like Rivendell and Lothlórien. Elrond is highly non-specific about how Sauron would turn this work against them, but it certainly doesn't seem as though active, current use of the Rings is necessary.

  Which is to say, it doesn't really matter that much whether they wear them or not. If Sauron regains the One, they're already screwed.

Answer 2

The wearers of the Three Elvish Rings of Power could detect when Sauron gained or lost the ring, as they did when he forged The One Ring and placed it upon himself:

As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. - ("Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion)

Whereupon they removed their rings until they found out he been struck down and the ring removed from him.

We could assume that the wearing of the rings was to detect if Sauron gained the ring back and thereby plan for the future. Middle-Earth does not have a wonderful postal or newspaper system so this could give them information they needed months in advance of when they'd otherwise gain it.

From the quote we can assume that it wouldn't be an immediate transformation into slavish domination by Sauron so the removal of the rings would allow for them to continue as they were, if but without their power.

If they did continue to wear their rings, they would've likely have ended up in a form of slavery similar to that of the Ringwraiths, able to subvert commands if they truly desired to but not able to directly resist. In a similar way to how the Ringwraiths would've acted if Frodo had managed to keep possession of the Ring:

I think they would have shown 'servility'. They would have greeted Frodo as 'Lord' ... Until Sauron himself came ... Sauron would not have feared the Ring! It was his own and under his will. (Letter 246)