Pentagon reverses course, updates religious classification list following outcry from Utah and Idaho lawmakers

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Following backlash from political leaders and religious communities, Pentagon officials have officially revised a newly proposed religious classification list, after excluding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the "Christian" umbrella.

The controversy began last week when a list of simplified faith codes revealed that the military had separated the LDS Church from mainstream Christian denominations. According to a memorandum signed by Anthony Tata, performing the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the initial purpose of the shift was to "streamline the Department of Defense's collection of religious preferences for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy."

"The new list will provide chaplains with clear, readily available information that will better enable them to anticipate the religious support needs of service members and to provide religious support activities that align with service members’ personal faith and practices," Tata wrote in the original memo obtained by Military.com.

However, the distinct categorization of Latter-day Saints sparked immediate backlash, particularly from lawmakers in Utah and Idaho—the states with the nation's largest Latter-day Saint populations. The Gem State alone boasts a sizeable Latter-day Saint population, serving as home to more than 480,000 members who meet across roughly 1,300 congregations, according to the faith. There are around 18 million members of the faith worldwide, with around 7 million residing in the United States.

In a statement published to X, the Department of Defense's Rapid Response account confirmed the turnaround.

"Last week, a proposed list of simplified faith codes was released to the media. The Pentagon list included redundant and unnecessary labeling, and the mistake has been fixed. The goal of this effort is to simplify a previously out-of-control 'belief' coding system… In order to clarify the work of chaplains, and simplify the work of commanders, the Pentagon has consolidated and simplified the list to roughly thirty codes — using the previously used labels for faiths."

Utah Senator John Curtis, who was among the voices calling for a correction, took to social media to applaud the Department of Defense's quick pivot.

"The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks," Senator Curtis wrote on X. "Thank you to the [Department of Defense] for listening to our concerns, engaging thoughtfully and respectfully with my office on this issue, and for delivering a swift correction."

Idaho Senator Jim Risch had also joined the chorus of criticism over the weekend, emphasizing the importance of accurate representation for service members.

The Consolidated Faith Codes

The newly consolidated Pentagon list features 31 distinct religious preference codes. Despite the revision of the Latter-day Saint designation, the updated list still excludes several minority faith and worldview groups—including Atheists, Humanists, Unitarian Universalists, Wiccans, and Pagans, among others.

The finalized codes are detailed below: