"Investigators", possibly the worst word choice ever?

[_Sethbag]

Why do we call people the missionaries are teaching the discussions to "investigators"?

I can't think of very much that would panic the missionaries more than finding out that their teachees are actually "investigating" the LDS church, rather than just consuming the pre-packaged missionary lessons.

[_Bob Loblaw]

More like "receptacles."

[_Drifting]

'marks'

[_Bob Loblaw]

'marks'

This.

[_bcspace]

Catechumen is a perfectly cromulent, but ancient, word. But I think investigator works just fine.

[_msnobody]

Everything is great as long as the investigator accepts that the investigating has already been done.

[_Bob Loblaw]

Catechumen is a perfectly cromulent, but ancient, word. But I think investigator works just fine.

Except they aren't actually investigating anything, just swallowing what the missionaries are feeding them.

[_Maxrep]

Catechumen is a perfectly cromulent, but ancient, word. But I think investigator works just fine.

Except they aren't actually investigating anything, just swallowing what the missionaries are feeding them.

Actually swallowing what they are being fed could be quite a generous description. I think if you were performing the pre baptismal interview, it would be clear that most of what was supposed to be ingested, missed their mouth and remains on their living room floor.

[_Drifting]

The Church discourages investigators from investigating...

[_Chap]

I'd be interested to hear from board members who have served missions about the number of times they have run into 'investigators' who actually investigated, in the sense of carrying out a significant amount of independent inquiry into the validity of the claims of the CoJCoLDS.

And what did those investigators investigate?

Did they end up baptized?