Precious Archibong

  I didn’t realize I had forgotten how to slow down until the day my phone died, dramatically and tragically, without warning, in the middle of a long commute. At first, it felt like the end of the world. No music, no notifications, no quick scrolling to fill the empty spaces. Just me, the bus window, and the sound of tires humming against the road. I felt restless for the first few minutes. My fingers even twitched, automatically reaching for a device that was now nothing more than an expensive paperweight. But somewhere around the third stop, something strange happened: I began to notice things. An elderly woman gently tapping her fingers to a silent rhythm. Two teenagers laughing about something only they understood. A mother whispering a story to her child, drawing shapes in the air with her hands. And then I noticed the light was soft and golden, touching the tops of the buildings like a quiet blessing. It was peaceful. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking abou...

The line between newsworthy and sensational is thin and increasingly blurred. In an age where attention is currency, many stories get exaggerated, dramatized, or stripped of nuance to generate clicks. But when I think about what truly makes something newsworthy, it’s not the drama; it’s the relevance. Newsworthy stories matter because they affect people’s lives, shape public understanding, or highlight issues that need attention. A newsworthy story has significance. It answers: Why should people know this? Who does it affect? What does this mean for society? On the other hand, sensational content is built to entertain, shock, or stir emotional reactions. It exaggerates or cherry-picks details to make something seem bigger, scarier, or more scandalous than it really is. Sensational stories thrive on fear, curiosity, and drama, usually with little benefit to the public. Newsworthy writing is rooted in responsibility; sensational writing is rooted in reaction. That differen...

  There’s something powerful about the way Joseph Smith talks about kindness, love, and compassion not as soft emotions but as forces that influence the mind, elevate the soul, and transform how we see others. When he says that even “the least kindness” has power over him, I think of the emotional weight journalists hold when they report on human experiences. News writing often focuses on facts, accuracy, and objectivity, yet behind every event are real people with real struggles, hopes, and flaws. Joseph Smith’s message reminds me that true storytelling isn’t just about quoting sources or listing events; it’s about recognizing the humanity behind the headlines. In news writing, compassion doesn’t remove objectivity; it enhances it. A compassionate reporter is more careful with their words, more mindful about the impact of their reporting, and more willing to consider how their story affects the people involved. If Joseph Smith teaches that drawing closer to God makes us more incl...

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about rest, not just sleep, not just taking a nap or going to bed early, but the deeper kind of rest that reaches the mind, heart, and soul. In the world we live in today, everything moves at an unbelievable speed. Notifications buzz, deadlines stack, expectations rise, and it often feels like everyone is racing toward something invisible. In moments like this, slowing down can feel almost rebellious. Sometimes it even feels wrong, as if resting means you’re falling behind while everyone else keeps sprinting. But recently, I realized something important: rest is part of productivity, not the opposite of it . We’ve been taught to measure our worth by how busy we are, how many tasks we complete, how many hours we work, and how quickly we respond. Yet the truth is, constant motion does not equal progress. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause. Today, I allowed myself one of those rare pauses, a moment to breathe, reflect, and simply exist...

  Interviewing changes you. Before I ever conducted an interview, I thought it was simply about asking questions and collecting quotes. But it’s much more personal than that. Every interview becomes a window into someone’s life, motivations, fears, successes, or failures. And listening, truly listening, teaches you to see the world through perspectives you never considered. Interviewing has made me more curious, more patient, and more intentional with my communication. It forces me to prepare thoughtfully because people can tell when you care about their story versus when you’re just ticking off a checklist. It has also shaped the way I speak: clearer questions, better follow-ups, and deeper engagement. But the most profound impact is the empathy it builds. People open up when they feel seen. They trust you with their experiences, and that trust is something you learn to handle with care. Interviewing sharpens your ability to capture authenticity, not just answers. It teaches yo...

Each of us carries within a tender yet powerful call: the call to be better, kinder, more forgiving. President Gordon B. Hinckley’s words remind us gently that life itself is a continuous journey of refinement. Just as an editor wields a red pen to lift a story from rough drafts to clarity, so too are we invited to edit our hearts and lives. In editing, perfection is never the initial goal. It’s the tender art of removing the unnecessary, rearranging fragments to create harmony, and breathing strength into the weak places. Spiritually, this is our sacred invitation. We examine the habits and thoughts that trip us up, quietly strip away what weighs down our souls, and reforge our priorities in the light of Christ’s love. Each day, we revisit our lives like an editor returning to a rough draft, willing to repent and adjust with humility and hope. The beauty lies in the Lord’s grace does not demand a perfect first draft of our lives. Instead, He waits for a willing heart, a spirit humble ...