Listen, live television is pretty wild.
The adrenaline. The energy. The pressure. It all comes together for a go-time countdown, just like it’s portrayed in movies. A floor director hollers out, “10 seconds!” The studio falls quiet, and the countdown picks up at “5, 4, 3, 2…”
And then you hear three words: Here we go.
It’s a scene that might cue the nervous butterflies for some. But after hosting television shows for more than a decade, that little "here we go" catchphrase has become very comfortable, even comforting, for me. It doesn’t mean we’re recklessly and carelessly jumping into production. If we’ve done our jobs—if we’ve put in the research, practice, and preparation—the phrase “here we go” offers a confidence, trust, and security that only people crazy enough to work in live television can fully appreciate.
However, I find myself saying this phrase a lot in my personal life, too. In fact, it’s a regular thing I do these days; I toss up what I’ve come to call a “here we go” prayer.
Maybe you can relate? Your child comes to you with a really heavy question. Your friend confides in you and shares a really hard struggle. Your sister unpacks an emotional personal load that’s been weighing her down. It’s in moments like these that I silently but sincerely offer up a heavenly Hail Mary, of sorts. Right then and there, I invite the Spirit to help me say the right thing, offer the right support, or even have the right look on my face as I listen. Here we go.
Much like the moments before a live television broadcast, the success of a prayer like that is largely dependent upon my preparation. If I’ve done my part, when I say, “Here we go,” the Holy Ghost can say, “Here I come.”
So how can we prepare for those spiritual “here we go” moments to feel the Spirit more often in our lives? Here are three takeaways I gleaned from President Henry B. Eyring’s October 2023 general conference talk.
1. Strive to Be Christlike in What We Think and Say
“We each think and say and do things in our daily lives that can offend the Spirit,” President Eyring taught.
It was the “think” and “say” part of this statement that caught me. Controlling my actions almost seems easy when compared to the challenge of controlling my thoughts and words; that takes true discipline. It takes more awareness. It takes more exactness. How do we do this? The scriptures teach that charity plays a key role: “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; … The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46).
Hearts full of love for others and thoughts filled with goodness: in other words, we try to be like Jesus. If thoughts and actions can drive away the Spirit, certainly they can bring the Spirit closer, too. And we need that closeness.
I find an easy place to practice this is at the girlfriends’ lunch table, when everyone feels cozy and the conversation flows. Striving to honor the woman who isn’t at the table pushes us to this place of charity. When her name comes up… how do I respond? How can I represent her, defend her, and stand witness to her goodness, as opposed to her weakness?
2. Demonstrate Humility
When I’m stumped, or when I’m not receiving an answer, I usually think either:
1) The Lord trusts me to use my intellect in this moment and just decide.
2) It’s a no.
But President Eyring points us to a strong third possibility:
“If you want to receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost, you must want it for the right reasons. Your purposes must be the Lord’s purposes. If your motives are too selfish, you will find it difficult to receive and sense the promptings of the Spirit. The key for me and for you is to want what the Savior wants. Our motives need to be driven by the pure love of Christ. Our prayers need to be ‘All I want is what you want. Thy will be done.’”
I appreciate this reminder first to re-examine whose priorities, whose agenda, and whose idea I’m really flexing.
To me, this looks like approaching questions with the big picture in mind. My mortal default setting is here and now. Heavenly Father sees the eternal view, which is a lens that will always serve us best.
3. Practice Daily Repentance to Stay Sensitive to the Spirit
We hear all the time that repentance should be a regular practice. But it’s easy to excuse ourselves from that suggestion if our “sin” doesn’t fall under the textbook definition.
As I narrow the scope and consider smaller offenses to repent of, my opportunities and reminders to ask for forgiveness open up. Do I say, “I’m sorry” as often as I say, “Please help”?
President Eyring teaches us that regular repentance will keep us on track and position us to welcome the Holy Ghost. I can be better at this. I have to be better at this so, like Nephi, the Spirit will stand ready to lead me when I “[don’t know] beforehand the things which I should do.”
And if you are someone who feels the Holy Ghost keenly in your life, remember why. That, President Eyring points out, is “sweet evidence that the Atonement is working in your life.”
Ultimately, it’s not our actions that grant us access to the Holy Ghost, it’s the Atonement. It’s through Jesus Christ that we can have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion.
And to that, I say: here we go.
