Survey shows 31% of Latter-day Saints oppose Christian nationalism

Latter‑day Saints are among the most politically conservative religious groups in the United States, yet a new Religion News Service survey shows they are far less likely than white evangelicals to embrace Christian nationalism, the belief that America’s identity should be defined by a specific brand of Christianity. The poll, conducted in June with more than 2,000 respondents, found that 71 percent of Mormon adults say they vote Republican, but only 31 percent say they view the United States as a “Christian nation,” compared with 62 percent of white evangelical Protestants.

The split matters because both groups have traditionally been key pillars of the Republican coalition. Mormons have long supported the party’s fiscal and social policies, but their theological distinctiveness and more recent emphasis on religious liberty have kept them wary of overtly theocratic rhetoric. Scholars note that the Mormon Church’s 1995 “Letter to the Nations” warned against mixing government with any single faith, a stance that still shapes members’ political calculations. At the same time, white evangelicals have increasingly aligned with candidates who invoke biblical language to justify immigration bans, abortion restrictions, and cultural wars, blurring the line between policy preferences and religious identity.

The survey’s figures underscore the nuance. While 84 percent of Mormon respondents say they are “very conservative” on economic issues, only 38 percent say they support policies that explicitly link government to Christian doctrine. By contrast, 71 percent of white evangelicals who describe themselves as very conservative also back Christian‑nationalist measures. Political analyst Emily Stokes of the Pew Research Center says the data “challenge the assumption that conservatism automatically translates into support for a Christian‑nation narrative.” The Mormon community’s reluctance to adopt that narrative has already shown up in recent primaries, where candidates who downplay overt religious symbolism performed better in Utah’s GOP contests.

The divergence could reshape Republican strategy ahead of the 2028 election cycle. Party leaders may need to tailor messages that appeal to fiscal and cultural conservatives while respecting the Mormon preference for a clear separation between church and state. If the GOP continues to lean on Christian‑nationalist rhetoric, it risks alienating a sizable bloc of reliable voters. Conversely, a more inclusive approach could broaden the party’s base, forcing a recalibration of how religious identity is used in American politics.