UTAH — The Department of Defense on Monday revised its official list of religious affiliations available to military personnel. The updated list removed the Christian designation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and 20 other religious traditions, including Catholic, Lutheran, and Pentecostal groups.

The revision also removed designations for atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans. U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis publicly objected to the exclusion of Latter-day Saints from the Christian religion category.

The Pentagon maintained its decision not to classify the Latter-day Saints faith as Christian. A Department of Defense spokesperson said, "The new rubric is not intended to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religion's belief." The Department of Defense stated the revision aims to help military chaplains structure resources efficiently.

Senator Curtis said, "Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country." Curtis also stated, "They are also unequivocally Christian, just look at who is in the name of the Church." He added, "It is unacceptable for the government to characterize a faith in a way that contradicts how the religion identifies itself." Senator Lee stated, "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." The church has nearly 18 million members worldwide, with the highest concentration residing in Utah. The church's official website states it is a Christian church but is neither Catholic nor Protestant.

The revision reduced a previous list of more than 200 religious options for service members. The Vatican stated in 2012 that Latter-day Saint baptismal rites cannot be considered Christian baptisms due to differing theological beliefs about the Trinity. Latter-day Saints reject the Nicene Creed, which defines the Trinity as a single divine being.