HBO on Tuesday defended its plans to depict a sacred Mormon temple ceremony in an episode of "Big Love." The drama about a Utah polygamous family will show an endowment ceremony Sunday.
HBO said it did not intend to be disrespectful of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and apologized.
The ceremony is an important part of the "Big Love" story line, HBO said. In the scene, actress Jeanne Tripplehorn's character, Barb, goes through the endowment ceremony as she faces losing her membership in the Mormon church.
