In-laws. This word can inspire happiness or dread in a married person, and sometimes just a neutral reaction. There are a lot of stereotypical representations of in-laws being irritating, rude, contentious, or just a nuisance. The most recent example of this sterotype that I saw in the media was from the show "Cobra Kai" . … Continue reading In-laws →

I think that it is important to have a close, open relationship with your children, but I think that it is important to have boundaries set, and that your children know that they need to look towards you with respect. A lot of parents nowadays follow the permissive style of parenting. Permissive parenting is when … Continue reading Children and Boundaries →

Sex is something that a lot of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints treat as being taboo. It is a topic that a lot of parents feel very uncomfortable sharing with their children. When parents do not feel comfortable sharing it with them, they sometimes just do not talk to … Continue reading The Church and Sex →

There are a lot of different messages in John Gottman’s book “The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work”. To define a central one would be difficult. I think that a big message in Gottman’s book is that there are a lot of misunderstanding about what makes a happy marriage. A lot of people think that … Continue reading 10- Central Ideas →

I think that Gottman’s estimation that 69% of problems in marriage are perpetual is accurate. Gottman does a lot of research based on his love lab, where couples of all kinds come in to get their relationship tested. He has an extremely high accuracy rate in predicting whether a couple will get divorced or not, … Continue reading Managing Conflict in Marriage →

Pride is very easily manifested in marriage. It easy to notice pride in other people, but not as easy to notice in ourselves. In Ezra Taft Benson’s talk on pride, he mentioned: “Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves .... Selfishness is one of the … Continue reading Pride →

When you are having a tough time in your marriage, it is really easy to say “this just is not working out” or assume that you married the wrong person. I know I have had these thoughts at times. As H. Wallace Goddard mentions in his book “Drawing Heaven into your Marriage”, these thoughts are … Continue reading Turning towards each other →

Love maps are a very interesting concept. Love maps are an idea by John Gottman. When you maintain a love map with your spouse, or with those close to you, you know what is happening in their lives, and how things are going.  You know who their co-workers are, and what classes they are taking, … Continue reading Love Maps →

John Gottman’s central research finding is that in marriages where the spouses are successful and happy, their friendship with each other seems to be what defines their relationship. When speaking about friendship, Gottman isn’t referencing the friends you have in school, where you braid each other’s hair and talk about your crushes. The friendship that … Continue reading The Importance of Friendship in a Marriage →

There are a lot of times when I feel like having a covenant marriage does not seem any more special than a contractual marriage is. You still fight, get irritated with each other, and disagree on many things like a contractual marriage. While there is the knowledge that I will be married to my spouse … Continue reading Doctrine of Eternal Marriage →