A Pentagon list overhaul puts Mormon church's Christian identity back in the spotlight

By — Deepa Bharath, Associated Press Deepa Bharath, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-pentagon-list-overhaul-puts-mormon-churchs-christian-identity-back-in-the-spotlight Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter A Pentagon list overhaul puts Mormon church's Christian identity back in the spotlight Nation Jun 11, 2026 5:30 PM EDT The Pentagon's revision to its list of Christian religions this week has reignited a nearly 200-year-old debate: Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a Christian denomination? Most Latter-day Saints do see themselves as Christians. But there are many prominent Christian clergy and scholars who disagree, citing core differences in how they view God and the Trinity and revere a scripture that is not part of the two-testament Christian Bible. Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and Latter-day Saints, challenged the Pentagon's exclusion of their faith from its list of Christian religions. It was part of the Department of Defense's recent effort to significantly pare down a list of more than 200 religious affiliations that troops could choose from, deleting categories such as atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country," Curtis posted on X in defense of his faith. "They are also unequivocally Christian — just look at who is in the name of the Church." He also said in his post that it is "unacceptable" for the government to characterize a faith in a way that contradicts how the religion identifies itself — a sentiment echoed widely in the social media blowback. The Pentagon responded on Monday by removing the Christian label from 20 other traditions, including Catholic, Lutheran and Pentecostal, and stayed away from labeling Latter-day Saints as Christian. The department also issued a statement saying that the new rubric is not intended to "make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religion's belief," but to help chaplains do their jobs and structure resources quickly and efficiently. Latter-day Saints identify as Christians The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, has nearly 18 million members worldwide, with the highest concentration in Utah. The church has a long history of military service; it emphasizes patriotism and chaplaincy support. In a social media post, Lee said: "My church membership is inextricably intertwined with my Christianity, as it is for 17 million other Latter-day Saints. Regardless of what the Pentagon thinks." WATCH: America's 250th anniversary revives questions about religion and the founders The church's website states that it is a "Christian Church, but is neither Catholic nor Protestant." "Rather,