Story perspectives

DoD Drops LDS Church, Removes Christian Label from 20 Faiths

6/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Department of Defense removed the LDS Church from its list of recognized Christian religions and stripped the Christian label from 20 traditions, saying the rubric only aids chaplain resource allocation.
Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis posted on X that the exclusion misrepresents the faith.
LDS officials cite 18 million members, Christian self-identification, and a former chaplain’s claim of promotion setbacks after other chaplains questioned their Christian status.

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Story summary

The Department of Defense removed the LDS Church from its list of recognized Christian religions and stripped the Christian label from 20 traditions, saying the rubric only aids chaplain resource allocation.
Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis posted on X that the exclusion misrepresents the faith.
LDS officials cite 18 million members, Christian self-identification, and a former chaplain’s claim of promotion setbacks after other chaplains questioned their Christian status.