I used white lithium grease in my oil pump as well. I also cranked the engine over a couple of seconds at a time for several minutes to build some oil pressure (using an aftermarket oil pressure gauge) before starting.
I turns out the stuff I used is just called "engine assembly grease" but it is white, and I am going to assume that it is white lithium grease. I may do that method, Volcom, it seems like a good idea to me.