<p>Utah Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) expressed criticism towards the Pentagon after it was revealed that the Department of Defense's updated list of religious affiliation codes does not categorize members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the Christian designation.</p>
<p>Curtis stated on social media, "Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country. They are also unequivocally Christian—just look at who is in the name of the Church." He described the classification as "unacceptable" and mentioned he is collaborating with department officials to address the issue.</p>
<p>Lee also commented on the matter, sharing an image of the church’s logo on social media and stating, "If only we, as Latter-day Saints, belonged to a church that had ‘Jesus Christ’ in its name and His image in its logo … Oh wait."</p>
<p>This situation arises following the Pentagon's decision to significantly reduce the number of recognized religious affiliation codes within the military, decreasing the number from approximately 211 to 31 categories.</p>
<p>Department officials clarified that the change is administrative rather than theological. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained that the intent of the change is to enhance the ability of chaplains and religious support personnel to provide effective spiritual care to military personnel. He emphasized that the reduction is not meant to judge the legitimacy of any faith tradition or create a list of officially approved religions.</p>