These are the people who have been scattered—the covenant House of Israel. They are in the lands of darkness, broken off and driven out, afar off. Some of them are the remnants of the tribe of Lehi, and there is a promise that messengers will go out and will be sent to these people. That is also what Nephi has talked about in 1 Nephi 13. The Lord promises that He will comfort and not forget his people (vv. 13, 15). Again, we can see why Nephi would have been especially attracted, for many reasons, to these words of Isaiah.