Pentagon updates religious categories after pushback from Church of Jesus Christ, Utah senators
Jun 8, 2026, 11:21 AM
The U.S. Department of War updated its list of faith codes Monday after pushback from some Latter-day Saints over the faith not being classified as "Christian." (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Department of War updated its list of faith codes Monday after pushback from some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the faith not being classified as “Christian.”
The Pentagon last week slimmed down the categorizations for chaplains in the military, but the move drew backlash in Utah because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not classified as “Christian,” unlike other Christian denominations. The department updated the list again on Monday, removing the “Christian” classifications from other faith groups such as Catholic, Baptist and evangelical.
“Last week, a proposed list of simplified faith codes was released to the media. The Pentagon list included redundant and unnecessary labeling, and the mistake has been fixed,” the department said on X. “The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks.”
Several members of Utah’s congressional delegation took issue with the initial faith codes over the weekend and defended The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Christian church. Sen. John Curtis said it was “unacceptable for a government entity to characterize a faith in a manner that contradicts the religion’s own foundational tenets,” and Sen. Mike Lee posted about it several times over the weekend.
Although the updated list doesn’t explicitly identify the Church of Jesus Christ as such, several applauded the Pentagon for the update.
“I agree with this statement, and am grateful to (Secretary of War Pete Hegseth) for correcting the error,” Sen. Mike Lee said in a post on X, referring to the Pentagon’s statement about not adjudicating theological debates.
“Thank you to the (Department of War) for listening to our concerns, engaging thoughtfully and respectfully with my office on this issue, and for delivering a swift correction,” Sen. John Curtis added on X.
Rep. Burgess Owens also thanked the Pentagon for making the change.
A spokesman for Curtis said the change was made after conversations between the senator’s office and the Pentagon on Monday morning.
Lee posted late Sunday, saying he had just spoken with President Donald Trump about the list.
“I won’t speak for him, but I’m thrilled about where this is heading,” he posted Sunday, before the list was updated. “We’re most fortunate that President Trump (1) loves Latter-day Saints, and (2) is our commander in chief. Stay tuned.”
Related: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces 55 new missions
