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Articles by Loren Marks
The Influence of Religious Beliefs in Marriage
In this chapter, we examine the connection between religious beliefs and marriage more deeply. Namely, we will explore, uncover, and convey “insider’s insights” that will be valuable to many readers, particularly to college- aged emerging adults, most of whom will marry one day. Our hope is that these previews into marriage will better inform and prepare emerging adults for success.
How Couples Perceive the Influence of God in Their Marriage
faith and marriage, divine influence, religious couples Marks, L., Dollahite, D. C., McKeighen, L., & Goodman, M. (2024, September 27). How couples perceive the influence of God in their marriage. Public Square Magazine. Marks, Loren; Dollahite, David; McKeighen, Laura; and Goodman, Michael, "How Couples Perceive the Influence of God in Their Marriage" (2024). Faculty Publications. 9978.
The Courage to Forgive
Download Print-Friendly Version In the 2015 movie “Cinderella,” Ella’s mother tells her to “have courage and be kind.” Ella, later known as Cinderella, endures cruelty yet responds with kindness and forgiveness, inviting us to reflect on our own capacity to find the courage to forgive. Her struggle to forgive her stepmother and stepsisters might be more dramatic than most family conflicts, but it still speaks to even the most ordinary family relationships.
The Courage to Forgive
Download Print-Friendly Version In the 2015 movie “Cinderella,” Ella’s mother tells her to “have courage and be kind.” Ella, later known as Cinderella, endures cruelty yet responds with kindness and forgiveness, inviting us to reflect on our own capacity to find the courage to forgive. Her struggle to forgive her stepmother and stepsisters might be more dramatic than most family conflicts, but it still speaks to even the most ordinary family relationships.
What Faith Changes in Marriage
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The Social Health Case for Religion
Download Print-Friendly Version Note: This piece is the third in a three-part series that reviews the best available science on the connections between religiosity and health. Part 1 discusses mental health; Part 2 discusses physical health; and Part 3 discusses social-relational health. What does the best science reveal about whether religion helps or harms us? Today, we turn to a focus on religion’s connection to relationships, including marriage and community ties.
The Physical Health Case for Religion
Download Print-Friendly Version Note: This piece is the second in a three-part series that reviews the best available science on the connections between religiosity and health. Part 1 discusses mental health; Part 2 discusses physical health; and Part 3 discusses social-relational health. There is a resource, strongly tied to a longer and healthier life, that our health system rarely acknowledges.
The Mental Health Case for Religion
Download Print-Friendly Version Note: This piece is the first in a three-part series that reviews the best available science on the connections between religiosity and health. Part 1 discusses mental health; Part 2 discusses physical health; and Part 3 discusses social-relational health. Memes like “God is dead” and “Science is real” have become T-shirt banners of contemporary secularism.
What Faithful Giving Builds
Download Print-Friendly Version For many religious individuals, faith plays a central role in their lives. In many faith traditions, members are required or encouraged to freely contribute their time, effort, and money, a concept known as religious giving. But how do individuals actually feel about religious giving? How does religious giving affect their marriages and families?
Opinion: The link between declining faith and falling marriage rates in America
In recent years, demographers have observed an alarming trend: American women are giving up on marriage. According to Pew Research Center data, only about a third of single women are looking for romance — well below that of single men. Meanwhile, a growing cultural consensus treats romantic partnership as optional at best and embarrassing at worst, as fears of divorce loom and the number of Americans who want to remain childless has more than doubled.
7-to-1: The striking scientific link between religion and better health
Imagine a doctor who checks your blood pressure, weighs you, and asks about your diet, drinking and exercise. She knows the evidence: obesity shortens lives, smoking shortens lives, and inactivity shortens lives. So, she talks about all of it. Now imagine she has read another body of research, with findings as striking as many of those, pointing to a factor associated with longer life, lower addiction and healthier behavior. And she says nothing. Not a recommendation. Not a referral.
Opinion: We fight for every drop of water. But we’re overlooking a wellspring of health in faith
Three years ago, researchers from Utah State University and the University of Utah convened with the Great Salt Lake Strike Team alongside state agencies to sound the alarm. A team of scientists led by BYU soon followed with a warning that the Great Salt Lake could essentially disappear within five years — a collapse that would pollute the air for millions and cripple the regional economy — unless Utahns cut their water use by a third or more. Multiple forces united.
Analysis: Are we leveraging the full impact of faith in America’s mental health crisis? Original
Our team of scholars at BYU and Duke has just finished a comprehensive review of Oxford University Press’s Handbook of Religion and Health, a 1,100-page volume that catalogs the findings of the most rigorous studies to date, as selected by a broader research team from Duke and Harvard. From these 1,152 studies, we tallied which findings were positive, negative, mixed or null. The picture that emerges is hard to ignore.
Women of Faith, Action, and Power
Download Print-Friendly Version The story of Queen Esther focuses on a terrifying extermination order in Ancient Persia to eliminate the Jewish population—and a high-stakes marital challenge. Queen Esther, a Jew, was married to the Persian King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes). The king had permitted his highest-ranking official, Haman, to pass the extermination order without knowing its consequences to the Jewish people—or the Jewish identity of his own wife.
Strangers in Their Own Land
In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, embodied the danger that can accompany misrepresentation and stereotyping. Reduced by society to “the Jew,” Shylock is seen as less than human, his depiction fraught with inaccuracy and hyperbole. This unjustly skewed representation of the Jewish people has reinforced antisemitic sentiment across the globe, the effects of which have lasted for generations and continue to this day in many parts of the world.
How Humor in Marriage Strengthens Black Families
Download Print-Friendly Version This article is part of a four‑part series that draws from insights in our forthcoming book, Exemplary, Strong Black Marriages & Families (Routledge, in press).
Coping With Racism: Faith and Family Resilience
This article is part of a four‑part series that draws from insights in our forthcoming book, Exemplary, Strong Black Marriages & Families (Routledge, in press). Research on family stress indicates that many African American families face racism and systemic stressors. These families susceptible to the cumulative burdens of stress spillover—defined as profound stress in one area of life “spilling over” and leading to poor outcomes in other domains.
The Service Ethic Behind Strong Black Families
This article is part of a four‑part series that draws from insights in our forthcoming book, Exemplary, Strong Black Marriages & Families (Routledge, in press). About 25 years ago, an LSU graduate class read Family Life in Black America, a nearly 400-page volume written by leading social scientists.
Before we declare religion harmful to women's health, let's look at the evidence
A recent op-ed in The Salt Lake Tribune by Professor Susan Madsen raises important concerns about how women experience gender and authority within religious spaces. Those concerns deserve serious attention. At the same time, when claims are made about religion's effects on women's health - particularly when directed at specific faith traditions - it is important that those claims reflect the full scope of the empirical evidence.
"Family Dinners and Family Relationships following the Initial Onset of" by Loren D. Marks, Heather H. Kelley et al.
Home > Faculty Publications > 7940 COVID-19, family dinner, family relationships, meals, mixed methods, parent-child relationships Marks, L. D., Kelley, H. H., Kimball, E. R., Dollahite, D. C., & James. S. (2023). Family dinners and family relationships following the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriage and Family Review, 59, 95-120.
The Power of Humor in Strong African American Marriages: Laughing, Lifting, and Loving
Home > Faculty Publications > 7937 African-American, black, humor, marriage, positive psychology Marks, L. D., Cannon, D. H., Skipper, A. D., Vassar, T. A., & Dollahite, D. C. (2025). The power of humor in strong African American marriages: Laughing, lifting, and loving. Marriage & Family Review, 61(8), 844–865.
"Exploring Influences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Communication:" by Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite et al.
Home > Faculty Publications > 7939 communication, COVID-19, family, marriage, pandemic, resiliency Marks, L. D., Dollahite, D. C., Kelley, H. H., Kimball, E. R., & James, S. (2023). Exploring COVID-19’s influence on family communication: Negative, positive, or both? Marriage & Family Review, 59, 121-142.
Repentance Restores Peace and Strengthens Families
Download Print-Friendly Version All American Families of Faith participant names are pseudonyms to protect identity. For many immersed in 21st-century culture, the idea of repentance may be jarringly akin to “shaming,” guilt-tripping, or fear-based condemnation. These connotations suggest links to depression, anxiety, and relational struggles and strife.
Proclamation On the Family
What happens when prophets are ignored? Calamity follows in the form of broken homes and shrinking nations.
How Spiritual Transformation Changes Marriage
Download Print-Friendly Version One of the most fascinating and inspiring transformations in literature is found in Victor Hugo’s beloved character Jean Valjean. Valjean was convicted for “stealing a mouthful of bread” to feed his sister and her children and was then sentenced to 19 years of hard labor in prison. After his release, he was treated as an outcast by most who saw him. One, however, showed him mercy.
How Spiritual Transformation Changes Marriage
Download Print-Friendly Version One of the most fascinating and inspiring transformations in literature is found in Victor Hugo’s beloved character Jean Valjean. Valjean was convicted for “stealing a mouthful of bread” to feed his sister and her children and was then sentenced to 19 years of hard labor in prison. After his release, he was treated as an outcast by most who saw him. One, however, showed him mercy.
How Belief in God’s Love and Authority Shapes the Home
Download Print-Friendly Version All participant names are pseudonyms. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God is the only comfort; He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from.” These seemingly opposing views of God being a comforting friend, as well as a supreme authority and eternal judge, can be challenging to reconcile. We explored if and how different interpretations of God’s character reportedly influence family relationships.
Faith Isn’t the Enemy of Intimacy—It’s the Key
Download Print-Friendly Version In the very first chapter of the first book in the Bible, God commanded Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Religion has always informed the meanings and purposes of sex, but has not limited sex to procreation. In the second chapter of Genesis, God also commanded our first parents to “be[come] one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
Faith Isn’t the Enemy of Intimacy—It’s the Key
Download Print-Friendly Version In the very first chapter of the first book in the Bible, God commanded Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Religion has always informed the meanings and purposes of sex, but has not limited sex to procreation. In the second chapter of Genesis, God also commanded our first parents to “be[come] one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
Husband as Head?: Diverse Perspectives on Gendered Marital Hierarchy From Highly Religious Wives and Husbands
Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest. References American Psychological Association. 2017. “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.” https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/. , , , and . 2011. “Gender and Violence in Dyadic Relationships.” American Journal of Family Therapy 39: 242–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2010.532000. , , , and . 2009. “Covenant Marriage and the Sanctification of Gendered Marital Roles.” Journal of Family Issues 30, no. 2: 147–178.
Equal Partnership: The Celestial Model of Marriage in the Proclamation
The following first appeared on Public Square Magazine. One heartbreaking summary of gender inequality in the world today was offered by Barber B.
March 2025 - Public Square Magazine
Shaken by Ruby Franke’s story? That discomfort can be a call for self-reflection. Her case reveals how the obsession with image can distort values and lead to devastating choices.
Husband and Wife As Equals: The Key to a Lasting, Loving Marriage
NOTE: This is the third piece in a three-part series on The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Download Print-Friendly Version One heartbreaking summary of gender inequality in the world today was offered by Barber B.
Husband and Wife As Equals: The Key to a Lasting, Loving Marriage
NOTE: This is the third piece in a three-part series on The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Download Print-Friendly Version One heartbreaking summary of gender inequality in the world today was offered by Barber B.
Why Society Can’t Afford to Ignore Motherhood
Note: This is the second article in a three-article series on The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Download Print-Friendly Version Mothers are not as appreciated as they should be. Not yours, not ours. One low point of ingratitude that many readers will recall is the melodic line from Saturday’s Warrior that intones, “Zero population is the answer, my friend.” However, we first-world nations are getting a rude wake-up call.
Why Society Can’t Afford to Ignore Motherhood
Note: This is the second article in a three-article series on The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Download Print-Friendly Version Mothers are not as appreciated as they should be. Not yours, not ours. One low point of ingratitude that many readers will recall is the melodic line from Saturday’s Warrior that intones, “Zero population is the answer, my friend.” However, we first-world nations are getting a rude wake-up call.
Preside, Provide, Protect, and Partner: Fathers and the Family Proclamation
The following first appeared on Public Square Magazine. This is the first of a three-part series on paragraph 7 in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This one is on Fathers, the second is on Mothers, and the third is on Equal Partnership. Although we address each of these three in detail in separate essays, of course, fathering, mothering, and equal partnership are intricately interwoven in actual practice.
Why Fatherhood Matters: Providing, Protecting, and Leading in Love
Download Print-Friendly Version This is the first of a three-part series on paragraph 7 in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This one is on Fathers, the second is on Mothers, and the third is on Equal Partnership. Although we address each of these three in detail in separate essays, of course, fathering, mothering, and equal partnership are intricately interwoven in actual practice.
Why Fatherhood Matters: Providing, Protecting, and Leading in Love
Download Print-Friendly Version This is the first of a three-part series on paragraph 7 in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This one is on Fathers, the second is on Mothers, and the third is on Equal Partnership. Although we address each of these three in detail in separate essays, of course, fathering, mothering, and equal partnership are intricately interwoven in actual practice.
Faith and Parenting: The Key to Raising Kids Who Stay Religious
All participant names are pseudonyms. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, an infamous father named Vader ironically quipped, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Irony and fiction aside, many present-day parents continue to find their children’s lack of faith not only disturbing but heartbreaking. Such heartbreak, however, is becoming normative. National data indicate that almost half (44%) of Americans have left the religious affiliation of their childhood.
Faith and Parenting: The Key to Raising Kids Who Stay Religious
All participant names are pseudonyms. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, an infamous father named Vader ironically quipped, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Irony and fiction aside, many present-day parents continue to find their children’s lack of faith not only disturbing but heartbreaking. Such heartbreak, however, is becoming normative. National data indicate that almost half (44%) of Americans have left the religious affiliation of their childhood.
The High Demands of the Devoted: “Why Do They Do It?”
The following first appeared in Public Square Magazine. Special Note From the Authors: When Orthodox Jews write the Divine Name, they typically write it “G-d” out of respect. When using their words, we follow this practice. On their long, difficult, and sometimes discouraging journey far from the comforts of the Shire, Tolkien’s Samwise Gamgee told Frodo Baggins to remember the old stories: “Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going.
Why Religious Devotion Matters in a Modern World
Special Note From the Authors: When Orthodox Jews write the Divine Name, they typically write it “G-d” out of respect. When using their words, we follow this practice. On their long, difficult, and sometimes discouraging journey far from the comforts of the Shire, Tolkien’s Samwise Gamgee told Frodo Baggins to remember the old stories: “Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going.
Why Religious Devotion Matters in a Modern World
Special Note From the Authors: When Orthodox Jews write the Divine Name, they typically write it “G-d” out of respect. When using their words, we follow this practice. On their long, difficult, and sometimes discouraging journey far from the comforts of the Shire, Tolkien’s Samwise Gamgee told Frodo Baggins to remember the old stories: “Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going.
Faith, Hope, and BYU: Sandra's Inspiring Journey
All four of Sandra’s grandparents had divorced at least once, long before she was old enough to understand what divorce even meant. In the case of one grandparent, the number of divorces would eventually reach 10. Complicit in those divorces were various forms of infidelity and addictions to drugs and alcohol. Sandra knew early on that she wanted something very different in her life.
Faith, Hope, and BYU: Sandra's Inspiring Journey
All four of Sandra’s grandparents had divorced at least once, long before she was old enough to understand what divorce even meant. In the case of one grandparent, the number of divorces would eventually reach 10. Complicit in those divorces were various forms of infidelity and addictions to drugs and alcohol. Sandra knew early on that she wanted something very different in her life.
Faith for Teens: The Surprising Power of Sacrifices in a Modern World
This article uses various real-life examples; however, all the names used are pseudonyms to protect the privacy and identity of those who participated in the study. Abraham and his willingness to offer an incomprehensible sacrifice serves as an important part of the origins of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Torah tells of Abraham painfully offering Hagar and Ishmael to the desert—trusting in God’s care for them.
Faith for Teens: The Surprising Power of Sacrifices in a Modern World
This article uses various real-life examples; however, all the names used are pseudonyms to protect the privacy and identity of those who participated in the study. Abraham and his willingness to offer an incomprehensible sacrifice serves as an important part of the origins of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Torah tells of Abraham painfully offering Hagar and Ishmael to the desert—trusting in God’s care for them.
How Do Religious Women Cope with Marital Conflict and Hardship?
1. Introduction Historically, men’s voices have tended to dominate religious conversation [1]. This is likely because men have traditionally been the ones trained to read and write, allowing them to record and pass on scripture and other religious literature [2]. While there are more similarities than differences between women and men, there are some noted differences [3], and men’s experiences cannot adequately comprehend or capture the full breadth and depth of the female experience [4].
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