Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, is celebrating after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth corrected an error that left out Mormons from a simplified faith code.
Lee, like many people from the state, is a follower of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he was disheartened to see that Hegseth had left Mormons off the list of Christian faith groups used by the U.S. military following a recent policy revision. He took to X to express his displeasure in a short video.
Watch:
As of two days ago, the Pentagon recognizes every Christian faith in America as Christian
Except one
That’s not okay, and it needs to change—now
Pass it on if you agree pic.twitter.com/QyQSYGot8d
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 8, 2026
“I find this offensive, not just because that happens to be my faith, not just because it happens to the faith of tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel, but it’s also just repugnant to any sense of decency, any sense of our common heritage and our common belief that the government needs to not weigh in on doctrinal disputes between various religious denominations,” he said of the exclusion. “I’m imploring people at the Pentagon to reconsider this, not just reconsider it but undo it. Secretary Hegseth, tear down that wall. This is not cool. Get rid of it. Get rid of it now!”
In a follow-up, Lee reveals that he has spoken with President Donald Trump. Without revealing any details, he said he is “thrilled about where this is heading.”
Look:
I just got off the phone with President Trump
We discussed the Pentagon’s “Christian list”
I won’t speak for him, but I’m thrilled about where this is heading
We’re most fortunate that President Trump (1) loves Latter-day Saints, and (2) is our commander in chief
Stay tuned https://t.co/ofxMJJHly9
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 8, 2026
On Monday, Lee expressed his gratitude that the “error” was fixed.
I agree with this statement, and am grateful to @SecWar Hegseth for correcting the error:
“The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks.” https://t.co/1U4vZNBMj2
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 8, 2026
“Last week, a proposed list of simplified faith codes was released to the media,” the War Department’s rapid response X account posted. “The Pentagon list included redundant and unnecessary labeling, and the mistake has been fixed. The goal of this effort is to simplify a previously out-of-control “belief” coding system that had ballooned to over 200 codes. In order to clarify the work of chaplains, and simplify the work of commanders, the Pentagon has consolidated and simplified the list to roughly thirty codes — using the previously used labels for faiths. The Pentagon’s job is not to adjudicate theological debates, but instead to ensure sincerely-held faith is respected and encouraged in our ranks.”
“I agree with this statement, and am grateful to Hegseth for correcting the error,” Lee reposted.
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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