The Pentagon has revised its list of religious affiliation codes for military personnel following criticism from lawmakers over the categorization of certain faiths.

The Defense Department updated the list on Friday after Mormon congressmen objected to the original classification system, which did not include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints among religious traditions labeled as Christian.

As part of the revision, the Pentagon reduced the total number of religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31. Officials stated the streamlining was intended to help military chaplains better coordinate religious support services for service members.

The original list that sparked the controversy had separated Latter-day Saints from other Christian denominations, placing them in a different category. This classification prompted objections from Mormon lawmakers who argued that the church should be included among Christian faiths.

The religious affiliation codes are used by the military to track the religious preferences of service members and help chaplains provide appropriate spiritual support and services. The updated system aims to maintain this function while addressing the concerns raised by congressional representatives about the categorization of specific religious groups.