1. Amos teaches that the Lord reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets.

‘Amos and Joel are two of the twelve prophets with short books in the Old Testament, along with Hosea, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Even though these twelve are often referred to as the ‘minor prophets’, their message is not minor but grand and majestic, for they speak with the power of the Lord as ensigns of truth and light to all generations. Like their fellow prophets, Amos and Joel speak a message of contrast, one of darkness as well as light: darkness and warning because of persistent disobedience, and light and encouragement because of the ultimate triumph of the Lord’s plan of exaltation.’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary of the Old Testament)

Amos

‘Amos lived in the mid-eighth century b.c. when Jeroboam ruled Israel (Amos 1:1). The opening verses of the book of Amos indicate that Amos was from Tekoa, a town about ten miles south of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judah. He was thus an inhabitant of the kingdom of Judah, but served as a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel.’ (Dana M Pike, Richard N Holzapfel, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament)

Amos 3:1–8. God Will Not Do Anything without Forewarning His Prophets

‘Amos spoke to the whole of Israel, all twelve families or tribes. Using the metaphor of a husband, the Lord reminded Israel that He had chosen no other (see Amos 3:2; Deuteronomy 7:6). He spoke of Himself as a faithful husband and reminded Israel of her covenant relationship with Him (see Jeremiah 3:19–20). In verse 3 He asked Israel to remember the need for unity in her relationship with Him. It is necessary, if they are to walk together, for them to be in agreement. The images are all chosen to express the same thing: God, has foreknowledge of all calamities (see vv. 2–6), but He never sends a calamity unless He first notifies His prophet of it (see v. 7; see also 2 Nephi 30:17; Jacob 4:8). Prophecy comes by direct revelation. God has knowledge of all His children and their doings and justly warns and threatens with His judgments. The fact that the prophets prophesy correctly is an indication that they are in communion with God and that they do indeed walk together.’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

2. Amos prophesies of ancient and latter-day Israel.

Amos 8:11-14 A famine in the land

‘Israel did experience a ‘famine’ of hearing the words of the Lord after the time of Amos and the prophets who lived and taught through the end of the Old Testament era. With the exception of the brief mortal ministry of the Saviour and the ministry of the apostles there has been one continuous famine of divine truth in that part of the world until the latter-day restoration, which now makes it possible for all the world to feast upon the word of the Lord’. (Andrew C Skinner, D Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse: The Old Testament)

3. Joel prophesies that God will bless his people in the latter days and pour out his Spirit upon them.

Joel 2:12–22. The Lord Will Redeem and Bless His People

‘The Lord calls to His children in all ages: “Turn ye unto me with all your heart” (v. 12). He desires them to become His people so that He can be their God. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith commented on the Lord’s powerful intervention and redemption in the latter days: “You know, they used to rend their garments and sit in sack cloth when they were repentant. So the Lord says, ‘Rend your heart and not your garments.’ Humble yourselves. Prepare yourselves, oh Israel, that you may receive My blessings, that you might be protected from this condition that is going to come. And then the last words that I have read from this part of this chapter, the Lord says that He will take that great army in hand, that He also has an army. His army is terrible, just as terrible as the other army, and He will take things in hand. When I say the other army, the Lord’s army, do not get an idea He is thinking about England or the United States. He is not. He is not thinking about any earthly army. The Lord’s army is not an earthly army, but He has a terrible army; and when that army marches, it will put an end to other armies, no matter how terrible they may be; and so He says in these closing words I have read to you that He would do this thing. He would drive this terrible northern army into the wilderness, barren and desolate, with his face towards the east sea and his hinder part towards the utmost sea. He would do that, and then He would bless His people—having references, of course, to Israel.” (Signs of the Times, pp. 160–61.)

The figure of the bride and bridegroom (see v. 16) is very apt. Israel was married to the Lord in the Abrahamic covenant (see Jeremiah 3:14; see also Notes and Commentary on Hosea). The Bridegroom was Jehovah, and the bride was Israel. The Bridegroom returned to claim His bride, who had been temporarily set aside for wickedness.’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

Joel 2:23–27. “Ye Shall Know That I Am in the Midst of Israel”

‘These verses describe Judah’s and Israel’s eventual deliverance. The years of the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm indicate generations of oppression for scattered and rejected Israel. All was not lost, however, for the Lord promised “the former rain and the latter rain” (v. 23). After a punishing drought, these rains returned, a symbol of God’s acceptance of His people, who had been chastened and redeemed. “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed” (v. 27; see also Philippians 2:10–11). One major theme of the Old Testament prophets is that although there will be a great apostasy in Israel, in the end Israel will be restored to the covenant (the gospel) and become faithful.’ (Old Testament Institute Manual)

Joel 2:28 I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh

 ‘There have been a great many discoveries. In fact, since the establishment of the gospel, these discoveries and inventions have been increasing more rapidly and we have seen more, perhaps, … than was seen during all the years from the days of the revival of learning and the reformation down to the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith’ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-56, 1:179).

Joel 3:16      The Lord also shall roar out of Zion

‘His temple and worship shall be reestablished there, and he will thence denounce his judgments against the nations. “The heavens and the earth shall shake.” There shall be great commotions in powerful empires and their dependencies; but in all these things his own people shall be unmoved, for God shall be their hope and strength.’ (Clarke’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)