Responding to pressure from outside media, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints public relations officials issued a response through www.lds.org denouncing the new HBO polygamy series Big Love as “lazy and indulgent entertainment.”

The series itself is set within a suburb around Salt Lake City, Utah, and actor Bill Henrickson (played by Bill Paxton), acts as a polygamist husband with three wives and seven children.

Henrickson, in addition to juggling his precarious family life, also manages a prospering hardware chain that’s in a financial wrestling match with the local Wal-Marts.

Big Love carries many influences from the LDS culture and mixes Mormon beliefs into its polygamist soap opera.

The show also depicts many sexual aspects of a polygamist lifestyle, graphically at times.

The Church stance issued on www.lds.org is firm in its opposition to the show and voices a concern that Big Love will add to the suffering of polygamist victims who endure “emotional and physical child and wife abuse.”

Another concern Church leaders have is the confusion that will be created from the placement of the show in Salt Lake City, Church headquarters.

“[Big Love’s location] is enough to blur the line between the modern Church and the program’s subject matter and to reinforce old and long-outdated stereo-types,” according to www.lds.org.

To conclude its review of Big Love, the Church voice its dismay over the lack of decency in modern television and its promotion of “an unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor and foul language.”

Church leaders warn parents that casual viewing habits of Big Love and shows like it will result in moral learning impediments for children.