John Curtis

Utah Sen. John Curtis is closely examining a Trump nominee for a high-ranking diplomatic position within the State Department, specifically citing concerns about her past remarks toward The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, was nominated by President Donald Trump in September to be the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The position has been empty since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

But Curtis is undecided on advancing Lynch’s nomination, pointing to past comments expressing skepticism about Latter-day Saints — raising questions about whether that stance would contradict with her official duties.

Curtis submitted an inquiry to Lynch on Thursday after she appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a preliminary hurdle before the nomination goes to the full Senate. The Utah senator referred to an episode of Lynch’s religious podcast titled “Mormonism vs. Christianity: Do You Know the Difference?” during which she sought to draw a line between the denominations.

“In your podcast, you seemed somewhat skeptical of the Church’s international growth and missionary work,” Curtis wrote in the inquiry, which was obtained by the Deseret News. “You referred to the Church’s ‘aggressive missionary efforts’ and warned that ‘it is very dangerous not to know the differences between historical truths of Christianity and what Mormons believe.’”

Curtis noted the position of ambassador-at-large would be tasked with defending the rights of all religious communities, raising questions about whether her comments would cause her not to extend that protection to Latter-day Saints.

The Utah senator pressed Lynch on how she would “ensure that Latter-day Saints receive the same vigorous protection of their religious freedom as evangelical Christians, Jews, and members of other faiths,” specifically regarding missionary activities and temple construction abroad. Curtis also opened the door to “further discussion” about aspects of his faith she may not understand.

“Latter-day Saints consider themselves Christians,” Curtis wrote. “While I recognize that other denominations may disagree, I fully respect their constitutional right to hold and express those beliefs. I also recognize that you spoke positively about aspects of the Church and do not presume that you intended to cause offense.”

Curtis sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, which must approve Lynch’s nomination before it reaches the full Senate. Without his vote, her nomination could be in question due to committee margins.

Curtis previously sunk a Trump nominee in that position when he voted against Jeremy Carl in February, who was being considered for assistant secretary of state for International Organizations.

Curtis did praise Lynch’s history of speaking out against antisemitism from both sides of the political spectrum, and noted he was confident she would “do well in defending people of all denominations.”

However, her answers specifically regarding the Latter-day Saint faith could determine whether Curtis would vote to advance her nomination.