The pace of the translation work increased radically in April 1829 when Oliver Cowdery, an occasional schoolteacher and ardent religious enthusiast, appeared on Joseph’s doorstep, having heard of the plates and wanting to know more. Cowdery had traveled from Vermont, where his family’s pastor, Ethan Smith, had become a local celebrity by publishing a book entitled View of the Hebrews (1823). In it, Smith argued that Native Americans were descended from the lost tribes of Israel. Cowdery was almost certainly familiar with the book, and it probably catalyzed his passionate interest in Joseph’s manuscript, which also posited a link between Native Americans and the ancient Hebrews. Joseph soon convinced Cowdery of the importance of the plates and had him replace Emma as his primary scribe.