• The Associated Press, Thursday, March 12, 2009 9:45 AM

HBO is defending its plans to depict a sacred Mormon endowment ceremony in an upcoming episode of "Big Love," its drama about a Utah polygamous family. HBO said it did not intend to be disrespectful of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and apologized--but notes that the ceremony is an important part of the "Big Love" story line.

News of the episode has sparked an online campaign by individual Latter-day Saints, who are calling for a boycott of "Big Love" and cancellation of subscriptions to HBO, AOL and other Time Warner Inc.-owned entities. The church itself is not calling for a boycott, and says that doing so would just fuel controversy and interest in the program.

Only church members in good standing can enter temples for sacred endowment ceremonies. Members take a vow not to discuss the rituals outside temple walls, although details of sacred ceremonies are widely available on the Internet. When "Big Love" first aired, the church and HBO agreed to a one-time disclaimer in the show's credits that distinguished the modern church's position on polygamy from the beliefs of the fictional characters in the series. However, this season, the show's stories have included more mainstream Mormon references.

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