A dispute over religious classifications within the U.S. military has reportedly drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers after a Pentagon policy overhaul removed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a list of Christian faith groups used by the armed forces.
The controversy erupted over the weekend when Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, publicly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Defense Department officials to reverse the change, arguing that the federal government should not place itself in the position of deciding theological questions among religious denominations.
Lee, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a practicing member of the LDS Church, voiced his frustration in a series of posts on X. In a video message, the Utah senator said the decision was offensive not only to members of his faith but also to the many service members who identify with the church.
According to Lee, the issue extends beyond any one denomination and raises broader concerns about the proper role of government in matters of religion.
“I find this offensive,” Lee said, arguing that the government should avoid becoming involved in doctrinal disagreements between religious groups. He further described the move as contrary to principles of fairness and respect for religious belief.
The senator urged Pentagon officials to immediately reverse the decision and directly appealed to Hegseth to undo the policy.
“Secretary Hegseth, tear down that wall,” Lee said in his video, calling on the Defense Department to eliminate the change and restore the previous classification.
Lee was not alone in his criticism. Fellow Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis also condemned the decision and pressed Pentagon leaders to reconsider. Curtis described the omission of the LDS Church from Christian designations as “unacceptable” and joined calls for the policy to be reversed.
The disagreement stems from a broader Pentagon effort aimed at simplifying how the military tracks religious affiliations among service members. Under the new system, the number of religious affiliation codes was reduced dramatically, falling from more than 200 separate classifications to just 31 broader categories.
As part of that restructuring, numerous faith traditions and belief systems were consolidated into larger groupings. The changes affected a wide range of communities, including atheists, humanists, pagans, Unitarians, and others.
Still, the exclusion of the LDS Church from Christian classifications generated particular concern in Utah, where the church is headquartered and where many military members and veterans belong to the faith.
Pentagon officials have pushed back against accusations that the change reflects any judgment about religious legitimacy or theological standing.
Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said the overhaul was intended as an administrative adjustment designed to help chaplains and religious support personnel better serve military members.
According to Parnell, the purpose of collecting religious affiliation data is to ensure that chaplains can provide appropriate spiritual care to service members across the force. He emphasized that the new classifications are not meant to determine which faiths qualify as Christian or to settle religious debates.
Parnell further stated that the changes were implemented solely to improve the allocation of religious-support resources and were “not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief.”
The dispute highlights the challenges that can emerge when government agencies attempt to streamline administrative systems touching on deeply held religious identities, an issue that has now placed Pentagon leadership under scrutiny from some of its strongest Republican allies.
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