WASHINGTON — A new Pentagon policy intended to simplify religious affiliation tracking within the U.S. military has sparked controversy after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was omitted from a list of faith groups categorized as Christian.

The policy, recently implemented by the Department of Defense, reduced the number of religious affiliation codes available to service members from more than 200 to just 31.

Defense officials said the move was designed to streamline administrative processes and help military chaplains better understand the religious makeup of their units.

However, the revised classification system has drawn sharp criticism from Utah's two Republican senators, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sen. Mike Lee publicly questioned the decision on social media, posting a screenshot of the updated list and asking why the church had been excluded from the Christian category.

"Can anyone tell me why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was left out of the list of Christian churches?" Lee wrote.

Sen. John Curtis was even more direct, calling the classification "unacceptable" and arguing that the federal government should not define a religion in a way that contradicts its own beliefs.

"Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country," Curtis said in a statement.

"They are also unequivocally Christian — just look at who is in the name of the Church. It is unacceptable for a government entity to characterize a faith in a manner that contradicts the religion's own foundational tenets. I am working now to ensure a correction is made."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long identified itself as a Christian faith.

On its official website, the church states that it is "a Christian church but is neither Catholic nor Protestant," describing itself instead as a restoration of the church established by Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Church teachings emphasize faith in Jesus Christ as central to salvation, and members regularly cite the church's full name as evidence of its Christian identity.

The issue carries particular significance within the military.

According to Pentagon data, approximately 18,200 active-duty service members identify as Latter-day Saints, representing roughly 1.3% of the nation's 1.4 million active-duty personnel.

Utah, home to the church's global headquarters, has historically produced large numbers of military personnel and officers.

In response to criticism, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the changes, saying the revised system was not intended to judge the legitimacy of any faith tradition or establish an official list of approved religions.

"This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief," Parnell 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," he said.

The restructuring also eliminated or consolidated several other religious categories, including atheist, humanist, Wiccan, and pagan affiliations, directing some service members into broader classifications.

Despite the Pentagon's assurances that the change is purely administrative, the omission of Latter-day Saints from the Christian category has ignited a debate over religious identity, government classification, and the limits of bureaucratic simplification.

Curtis and Lee have indicated they will continue pressing the Department of War to revise the designation.