The Pentagon published a revised list of religious affiliation codes on Friday, reducing the number from more than 200 to 31 to better manage data for military chaplains [1, 2]. The list initially categorized 21 denominations as Christian but excluded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from that group, sparking criticism from Mormon lawmakers [1, 2].
Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, along with Representative Mike Kennedy, called the omission offensive and wrong. Senator Lee said the exclusion was "not just because this happens to be my faith, but not just because it happens to be the faith of tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel," adding it was "repugnant to any sense of decency" for the government to weigh in on theological disputes [1]. Lee urged Pentagon officials to "undo it" and called on Secretary Hegseth to "tear down that wall" between categories [2]. Representative Kennedy also said, "It was wrong and needs to be corrected" [2].
The Pentagon explained its original list was an effort to simplify an unwieldy set of over 200 belief codes that proved impractical due to redundancy and complexity [1, 2]. The original list was created in 2017 following a 2013 congressional mandate to help military chaplains better understand the religious makeup of service members [2].
Following the backlash on Monday, the Pentagon removed the "Christian" subcategory entirely rather than singling out LDS, aiming for a more neutral approach to religious classification [1, 2]. The revised list is expected to better serve chaplains without engaging in doctrinal distinctions.
The revised religious affiliation list aims to balance simplicity and accuracy while avoiding government involvement in theological definitions. The Pentagon will continue to update the list as needed to support military personnel's religious needs.
