Resurrection Timeline

What gives more hope than the promise of the Resurrection?
A glorified, perfect body seems like an apt reward for dealing with all the pain and hassle that they bring us in this life. Another example of how everything unfair about this life will be made right. 

We know that every human that has ever lived will enjoy this blessing. It is a consequence of keeping our first estate, of following Jesus Christ in our premortal lives. As my laurels like to say "even Hitler" will be resurrected. What a merciful God we worship! 

Jesus was the first person ever to be resurrected. Because he was divine, He had power over death and was able to break the bonds of death after He had already passed away. We don't understand how He did that. We can't explain it with science. (Although there's a fascinating book called Divine Engineering by David Brems that attempts to do that). In any case, we know that because of his unique calling and genetics, Jesus Christ was able to be resurrected and because he was, so will we. 

Matthew 27:52 tells us that immediately after the Savior's resurrection many other faithful saints were resurrected as well. 

An important note: translated beings have not been resurrected. Their mortal bodies have been changed somehow and the scriptures say they will not taste pain or death until they are resurrected when Jesus returns to Earth. Many translated beings have been taken up into heaven (city of Enoch, Elijah) but four still remain on the Earth (John the Beloved and the three Nephites). 

When Jesus returns there will be several phases of resurrections. D&C 76 implies that resurrections will take place in general correspondence to the kingdom the person will be resurrected to.  The general idea is that people who are more righteous will be resurrected before those who are wicked. I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that the first resurrection will take place at the beginning of the resurrection and the last will take place at the end, but I can't find anything scriptural to support that.

In Mosiah 15 Abinadi tells us that those who died in ignorance and little children will also be a part of the first resurrection. 

The best scripture on the subject is Alma 40:8, which is when Alma is teaching his wayward son Corianton, who has gotten himself confused about this stuff. Alma tells him it doesn't really matter, people die at all different times, they get resurrected at all different times. Time is a mortal concept anyways and there's no need to stress about it. 

Love that Alma.