The United States Department of Defense has reclassified The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in its official list of religious affiliations, placing it in a separate category from churches listed under the Christian heading.
The change, affecting the denomination that is the second largest in Tonga, forms part of a wider reduction in the number of religious designations recognised by the department, which has reduced its list from more than 200 affiliations to 31.
According to an official memorandum, the revised classification system is intended to streamline the collection of religious preference data among military personnel and improve the delivery of chaplaincy services.
Under the new list, denominations such as Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Orthodox churches remain grouped under the Christian category. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is listed separately under its own designation.
The move has prompted criticism from Utah political leaders, where the church is headquartered.
US Senator Mike Lee questioned why the church had been omitted from the list of Christian churches, while Senator John Curtis said Latter-day Saints were “unequivocally Christian” and called for the classification to be reviewed.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had not issued an official statement on the matter at the time of publication.
The change does not affect the church’s legal status or religious activities. Rather, it relates to how the Department of Defense categorises religious affiliations for administrative purposes.
The issue has attracted attention among Latter-day Saints because church members identify themselves as Christians based on their belief in and worship of Jesus Christ. However, some Christian denominations regard the church as distinct from historic Christianity because of differences in doctrine and scripture.
