The Pentagon Changed Its Religious Classifications After Outrage From LDS Lawmakers

The Pentagon on Monday backtracked on a disputed religious-affiliation policy that sparked a backlash from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Republican lawmakers, saying the list had contained a “mistake” that “has been fixed.”

The statement, posted by a Department of Defense account on X, came hours after Sen. Mike Lee said he had personally appealed to President Donald Trump on the issue. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been left outside a list of Christian denominations used in military personnel records.

“I just got off the phone with President Trump,” Lee, a Utah Republican and Trump ally, posted on X. “We discussed the Pentagon’s ‘Christian list’. I won’t speak for him, but I’m thrilled about where this is heading. We’re most fortunate that President Trump (1) loves Latter-day Saints, and (2) is our commander in chief. Stay tuned.”

The Pentagon confirmed last week that it reduced more than 200 religious affiliation codes to 31. The list included more than 20 categories labeled “Christian,” but placed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a separate category.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the May 20 memo last week, saying the changes were intended to simplify religious-affiliation tracking and help military chaplains better understand the makeup of the force.

But on Monday, the Pentagon distanced itself from the document, calling it “leaked.”

“The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks,” the statement said.

Under the list the Pentagon posted Monday, religious denominations were generally listed by name rather than grouped under “Christian” categories, a change that removed the distinction that had roiled several LDS members in Congress.

Lee, who had called the initial change “repugnant,” posted Monday that he was “grateful to @SecWar Hegseth for correcting the error.”

Fellow Utah Sen. John Curtis, who also spoke out against the policy change previously, posted in approval.

“Thank you to the @DeptofWar for listening to our concerns, engaging thoughtfully and respectfully with my office on this issue, and for delivering a swift correction,” Sen. John Curtis, a Mormon and Utah Republican, wrote in a post afterward.

Utah Republican Reps. Mike Kennedy and Celeste Maloy and Arizona Democrats Rep. Greg Stanton and Sen. Ruben Gallego also previously spoke out against the list.

Kennedy said the classification is “wrong and needs to be corrected,” while Maloy wrote that members of the church “are Christian.” Stanton said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth owed the public “an honest explanation.”

The Pentagon “needs to correct the record. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly are Christians. I happen to be a member, and first and foremost I believe in Jesus Christ. We are Christians,” former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, said in a post.

The controversy touches on a longstanding debate over the place of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within Christianity. Church members identify as Christians because of their belief in Jesus Christ, while some other Christian denominations have historically argued that theological differences place the faith outside traditional Christian orthodoxy.

The changes were iterated in a May 20, 2026, memorandum signed by Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s personnel chief.

Tata’s 2020 nomination for a senior Pentagon post collapsed amid backlash over anti-Muslim comments and social media posts calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” — comments he later said did not reflect his views.

Hegseth has faced criticism from some church-state advocates over his public use of Christian language in official Pentagon events and policies, hosting prayer events at the Pentagon and describing military operations in religious terms.