SALT LAKE CITY — A year after the LDS Church began using a new film for temple instruction for the first time in 20 years, and six months after introducing a second, a third new film is in rotation.

The latest film presentation began showing Tuesday in 30 of the 143 operating temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church spokesman confirmed.

The new film is only in English for now. Like the others, its use will expand to other temples around the world over time and as translations are prepared.

The script in each of the films is the same. The films are shown in a rotation to provide variety to temple instruction.

The church released the first of the three new films in July 2013. That version also was released on a smaller scale, but it is now widely used in temples around the world in multiple languages.

The second new film entered the temple rotation in January.

A portion of LDS temple instruction has been provided through pre-recorded media, including film, since the 1970s.

Mormon temple worship occurs in 143 dedicated temples around the world. LDS temple worship differs from regular Sunday worship services held by 29,253 congregations in buildings called chapels or meetinghouses.

Temples are reserved for the faith's highest and most sacred ordinances, such as marriage, and making covenants with God to be more like Jesus Christ. Because of the sacred nature of temples, they are reserved for active church members who are observing the basic principles of the faith, whereas weekly Sunday services in meetinghouses are open to people of all ages and faiths.

Latter-day Saints consider temple worship sacred, so they do not publicly share the details of temple instruction.

The church dedicated and opened new temples in March in Gilbert, Arizona, and in May in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The public is invited to tour temples before they are dedicated. The renovation of the Ogden Utah Temple is nearly complete, and a public open house is scheduled to run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 6, except for Sundays.

The temple will be rededicated on Sept. 21.

Several new temples are under construction and could have open houses in the next 18 months, including the Phoenix Arizona Temple, the Rome Italy Temple, the Payson Utah Temple, the Cordoba Argentina Temple and the Provo City Center Temple.

More information about LDS temples is available at mormonnewsroom.org/topic/temples.

Email: twalch@deseretnews.com