Jon Ogden and Amanda Suarez: Easter is for Everyone

With Easter just a few days away, we’re so excited to share this conversation with Amanda Suarez and Jon Ogden.

Amanda and Jon are two of the co-founders of Uplift Kids, a lesson library and curriculum that helps families explore spirituality, values, and emotional health together. Amanda is a school psychologist and certified conscious parenting coach, and Jon is a writer, curriculum creator, and author of When Mormons Doubt.

In this conversation, Amanda and Jon offer a beautiful vision of Easter through the lens of what Brian McLaren calls the “harmony” stage of faith—a perspective they also bring to their work with Uplift Kids. They paint a picture of Easter made more meaningful—not less—by welcoming it all: the story of Jesus’ resurrection, the chocolate bunnies, the deep questions, and the simple joy.

It’s an approach that honors the unique developmental stage of each child and the evolving faith of each adult, making room for everyone to show up just as they are. And for many families gathering this time of year, that kind of spaciousness matters—especially when there are likely a variety of beliefs around the table and a wide range of needs, from toddlers to teens to adults.

Rather than avoiding depth or walking on eggshells around belief, Amanda and Jon invite us to embrace the richness that comes from letting all the layers belong. That richness can become an opening—for deeper connection, for real growth, and for the kind of transformation that Easter is all about.

At its heart, this conversation invites us to let go of pressure and agendas, to lean into love and presence, and to trust that what’s needed will rise naturally in its own time. Easter, after all, is a story of life, death and rebirth—and that same pattern is quietly at work in our lives and families too.

We hope this conversation fills you with the peace this Easter season brings.

For more on these topics, check out:

Faith's Dance With Doubt — A Conversation with Brian McLaren

The Science of Spirituality — A Conversation with Dr. Lisa Miller

Cultivating a Child's Inner Compass — A Conversation with Jon Ogden

Cynthia Bourgeault’s reflection that Jon references towards the end

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In Latter-day Saint culture, we often focus on the Resurrection and triumph over death as the primary purpose of Christ's crucifixion. While this doctrine is important, could the emphasis solely on the triumph over death create a gap in our understanding of Christ's sacrifice? Consider this: what does the crucifixion of Jesus Christ reveal about God's character? What does Christ's physical suffering on the cross as the "The God of Friday" teach you about human suffering? And what can we learn about healing, mercy, empathy, and solidarity in pondering this sacred act?

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