"Register" menu item

Summary: I need to be able to insert “register” and “login” buttons in the nav bar or a widget that directly activate those functions.

As I understand, the only way, in basic WordPress, for a user to be directed to the registration window is attempt an action (such as posting a comment) that an unregistered user cannot do; then maybe the visitor will get to register. This is unnecessarily confusing; a straightforward “Register” or “Register/Login” button in the main nav bar would be much better

I am using the 2010 theme to create a blog to post information for my 50 year HS reunion. Unregistered users should be able to see the opening blog which provides the latest updates. Registered users would be able to ask questions and generate their own blog streams (not autonomous blogs).

Because this demographic is not typically web-savvy nor interested in anything particularly clever, I would like to be able to include simple “Register” and “Login” links in my nav bar immediately after the “Home” button. I would prefer to go through the front-end and not redirect users but could live with this or a widget that was very clear in its purpose and use. WP-members seems like it should provide a widget that would do this job, and, in fact, it seemed to have worked a couple of times then the “register” option ceased to appear.

I am not yet proficient enough in PHP to write my own register page or figure out where to put it.

If there is an easy way to do this (it’s so basic that it seems I must be overlooking something), please let me know. I need to get this puppy on line an a couple of days.