Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is demanding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse a Pentagon decision that removed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a list of Christian religious affiliations available to U.S. service members.
The dispute erupted after the Defense Department announced it was reducing the number of religious affiliation codes available in military personnel records from more than 200 to 31. While the revised list includes numerous Christian denominations, Mormonism was not included among the Christian categories, prompting criticism from several Republican lawmakers from Utah.
Lee calls decision ‘repugnant’
Lee, a prominent Trump ally and member of the LDS Church, sharply criticized the move in a video posted to social media.
“It’s just repugnant to any sense of decency,” Lee said, arguing that the federal government should not be deciding doctrinal questions between religious denominations. He called on Hegseth to immediately reverse the policy and restore the previous classification.
The Utah senator warned that the decision places the federal government in the role of gatekeeper for Christianity, a position he argued is fundamentally at odds with longstanding constitutional principles protecting religious freedom.
Other Utah Republicans join criticism
Lee was joined by fellow Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis and Rep. Mike Kennedy, both members of the LDS Church.
Curtis said Latter-day Saints are “unequivocally Christian” and argued that it is inappropriate for a government agency to characterize a faith in a way that conflicts with its own beliefs. Kennedy similarly urged the Pentagon to correct what he described as an inaccurate classification.
Pentagon defends change
Pentagon officials insist the change was administrative rather than theological.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the revised list was designed to help military chaplains quickly assess the religious composition of their units and allocate resources accordingly. He said the changes were not intended to determine which faiths are legitimate or officially recognized by the government.
“This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief,” Parnell said in a statement.
Debate extends beyond Utah
The controversy has reignited a longstanding debate over whether Mormonism should be classified as a Christian denomination. Members of the LDS Church identify themselves as Christians and center their faith on Jesus Christ, while some other Christian traditions view Mormon theology as distinct from historic Christianity.
The Pentagon’s decision has drawn criticism from both conservative and religious liberty advocates, who argue that the government should avoid making judgments on theological questions altogether.
As of Monday morning, the Defense Department had not indicated whether it intends to revise the policy despite mounting criticism from Republican lawmakers, religious liberty advocates, and faith-based organizations.
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