The Morning of the First Resurrection

We know from the scriptures that all those who come to earth will one day be resurrected. Alma suggested, though, that not all will be resurrected at the same time: “Behold, there is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead. Now when this time cometh no one knows; but God knoweth the time which is appointed. Now, whether there shall be one time, or a second time, or a third time, that men shall come forth from the dead, it mattereth not; for God knoweth all these things; and it sufficeth me to know that this is the case—that there is a time appointed that all shall rise from the dead” (Alma 40:4-5). Other scriptures speak of a “first resurrection,” which implies that there must some who are not first and whose resurrection comes later. For example, the prophet Abinadi taught, “And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection. They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death” (Mosiah 15:22-23). This implies that the righteous have part in a “first” resurrection before the wicked are resurrected later. The vision of the degrees of glory makes this clearer: “And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.” Those in the celestial kingdom will “have part in the first resurrection” which is the “resurrection of the just,” and those in the telestial kingdom “are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:17, 64-65, 85). It appears that this last resurrection is at the end of the Millennium. We read in another section, “And again, verily, verily, I say unto you that when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for a little season; And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth… But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth—yea, even all” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:22-26). The chapter summary for this section reads, “The last resurrection and final judgment follow the Millennium.” This suggests that those who have been wicked will not be resurrected until after that 1000-year period of peace, after they have endured the penalty for their sins. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected, but the scriptures suggest that only those who have repented and followed Him will be part of the first resurrection.

                So what does the phrase “the morning of the first resurrection” mean? It is not a scriptural phrase, but it is used commonly within the Church. For example, President Hinckley, commenting about a classmate who had passed away, said this in general conference, “She is again in the association of loved ones, the parents who gave her mortal life and others of her family who loved her while they lived. Her spirit has gone to join theirs, and there will come that promised morning of the first resurrection, when they shall again take up their bodies and live in that sociality which bound them with the bonds of love while they were mortal beings.” President Faust quoted these words of a member of Elizabeth Jackson, a member of the Martin Handcart Company: “I listened to hear if my husband breathed, he lay so still. I could not hear him. I became alarmed. I put my hand on his body, when to my horror I discovered that my worst fears were confirmed. My husband was dead…. The ground was frozen so hard that they could not dig a grave. He was left there to sleep in peace until the trump of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall awake and come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. We shall then again unite our hearts and lives, and eternity will furnish us with life forever more.” Both of these speak of this “morning” of the first resurrection in the context of the righteous coming forth. Is it just a more poetic way of saying “first resurrection” that the scriptures speak of?

I found a quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie which suggests that there is real meaning in the reference to “morning” in this phrase. His commentary was on these verses of scripture: “And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven—They are Christ’s, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God. And after this another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ’s at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:96-99). These speak of two different times of resurrection, and Elder McConkie said this: “Those being resurrected with celestial bodies, whose destiny is to inherit a celestial kingdom, will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. Their graves shall be opened and they shall be caught up to meet the Lord at his Second Coming. They are Christ’s, the firstfruits, and they shall descend with him to reign as kings and priests during the millennial era.” He suggested that the time of the “second trump” spoken of in the preceding verses is an “afternoon of the first resurrection; it takes place after our Lord has ushered in the millennium. Those coming forth at that time do so with terrestrial bodies and are thus destined to inherit a terrestrial glory in eternity.” This would suggest that those of the celestial kingdom come in the “morning” of the first resurrection, those of the terrestrial kingdom come in that “afternoon” of the first resurrection, and those of the telestial kingdom come in the last resurrection.

However the order turns out to be, we do know of One who came forth literally in the morning of the first resurrection—the Savior. He was of course the first to break the bands of death, and He came forth that Sunday morning and appeared to Mary as the Risen Lord. We give thanks that He lives and that through Him all who have lived on this earth will rise again!