Pentagon Revises Recognized Faiths for Service Members After Objections from Latter-day Saints

The trimmed roster of faiths available to US service members placed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart from the wider Christian grouping, prompting sharp objections.

US Army soldiers walk in formation during the Sword 26 exercise, approaching a MEDEVAC vehicle as NATO forces demonstrate innovation in battlefield casualty evacuation using drones and medical tech in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 11, 2026.

(photo credit: REUTERS/KUBA STEZYCKI)

ByASHER SMITH

JUNE 11, 2026 16:47

The Defense Department refreshed its catalog of accepted religious identities that troops may select and dropped the Christian designation for multiple denominations, among them the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This week the department cut the roster of official religious categories down to 31 entries, with more than 20 of those entries falling under Christian headings.

Utah Senator Mike Lee, a member of the Mormon church, voiced strong disapproval of the roster in a video shared on X.

"I think it is very unfortunate that the Pentagon has chosen to identify basically every faith group in America that professes faith in Jesus Christ as Christian, with one exception: that is those belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," he said.

"I find this offensive, not just because that happens to be my faith and not just because it happens to be the faith of tens of thousands of US military personnel, but it is also just repugnant to any sense of decency, any sense of our common heritage and our common belief that the government needs to not weigh in on doctrinal disputes between various religious denominations," he added.

Pentagon Trims Christian Categories, Initially Leaves Out Mormons

The Pentagon issued the updated roster on Monday after receiving complaints about the earlier version. No religious group received a Christian label in the revised roster.

"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 Pentagon's rapid response account stated in a post on X/Twitter.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, announced last week that officials had eliminated 180 religious affiliation codes because the previous total had become unmanageable.

"This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of officially approved religions," the statement said.

"Rather, it is designed to allow chaplains to quickly look at the religious composition of their units and determine how they structure resources to best provide for warfighters of all faith groups."

Hegseth Faces Criticism Over Approach to Religion in the Ranks

Earlier this year Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed plans to shorten the list and to eliminate the army's spiritual fitness guide entirely.

Hegseth has argued that military spiritual and religious programs place too much emphasis on self-care and should instead stress truth.

Hegseth's management of religious matters has drawn repeated criticism. He has urged chaplains to focus more on scripture than on psychology and has hosted monthly evangelical Christian worship services that have prompted legal questions from experts.

Hegseth has also drawn criticism for inviting pastors from his small Christian denomination to speak at the Pentagon, including one pastor who has stated that women should not have the right to vote.