 The church believes the "Book of Mormon" to be a collection of records by prophets of the ancient Americas, written on plates of gold and translated by Joseph Smith c. 1830.The church considers the "Book of Mormon" one of the main tools for the spiritual gathering of Israel.The Ten Lost Tribes became, along with Prester John and El Dorado, an object for exploration and contact in the Age of Discovery and colonialism, until today when indigneous peoples in voluntary isolation are incorrectly called "lost tribes".