One of the reasons for this belief is the Gospel Topics Essay on Book of Mormon Translation, which does not even quote or cite what Joseph and Oliver said about the translation, but instead focuses on the theories of the scholars who wrote the essay.
The Gospel Topics Essays were never intended to replace the scriptures, the teachings of the prophets, or authentic documents from Church history.
Let's see what we know about why the plates were preserved.
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In July 1828 the Lord explained why the plates were preserved:
And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, which contain these records—that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his people;
And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen.
(Doctrine and Covenants 3:19–20)
When he first appeared to Joseph Smith, Moroni explained that
He [Moroni] said this history was written and deposited not far from that place [Joseph's home near Palmyra], and that it was our brother’s privilege, if obedient to the commandments of the Lord, to obtain and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummim, which were deposited for that purpose with the record.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68
[Note: This passage also explains one reason why we know the hill Cumorah/Ramah is in western New York. Mormon and Moroni lived "not far from" Palmyra when they wrote and deposited the record.]
The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western Tribes of Indians, having been found through the ministration of an holy Angel translated into our own Language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years containing the word of God, which was delivered unto them, By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph that was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them, and unto it all the tribes of Israel will come. with as many of the gentiles as shall comply with the requisitions of the new covenant.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letterbook-1/29
See Historical Introduction: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-to-noah-c-saxton-4-january-1833/2#historical-intro
The month before he was murdered, Joseph Smith met with the local Indians and said
“The Great Spirit has enabled me to find a book, (shewing them the book of Mormon) which told me about your fathers, and the Great Spirit told me, ‘you must send to all the tribes that you can, and tell them to live in peace’; and when any of our people come to see you, I want you to treat them as we treat you.”
The Lord sent Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Ziba Peterson, and Parley P. Pratt to go "into the wilderness among the Lamanites." (D&C 32:2; 28:8) The "wilderness" at that time was western New York, Ohio, Missouri, etc.
Parley P. Pratt "described the visit: “We called on an Indian nation at or near Buffalo; and spent part of a day with them, instructing them in the knowledge of the record of their forefathers. We were kindly received, and much interest was manifested by them on hearing this news. We made a present of two copies of the Book of Mormon to certain of them who could read"
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-from-oliver-cowdery-12-november-1830/1 note 1.
This is why the plates were preserved.
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What did Joseph and Oliver teach about the translation?
They never said or implied that Joseph did not use the plates or that he used a "seer stone" he found in a well years before Moroni's visit.
The SITH narrative was published in the 1834 book Mormonism Unvailed, here. But Joseph and Oliver formally refuted that narrative, in print, several times.
The teachings of Joseph and Oliver were repeated frequently in General Conference:
https://www.mobom.org/urim-and-thummim-in-lds-general-conference
In recent years, certain LDS scholars have revived the SITH narrative from Mormonism Unvailed and then rationalized away what Joseph and Oliver taught.
But we can all read the original sources.
Here are some examples:
Responding to ongoing confusion about the translation, Joseph Smith answered the question in the Elders Journal in 1838.
Question 4th. How, and where did you obtain the Book of Mormon?
Answer. Moroni, the person who deposited the plates, from whence the Book of Mormon was translated, in a hill in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, being dead, and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me and told me where they were and gave me directions how to obtain them. I obtained them and the Urim and Thummim with them, by the means of which I translated the plates and thus came the Book of Mormon.
(Elders’ Journal I.3:42 ¶20–43 ¶1)
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/elders-journal-july-1838/11
In 1842, the question persisted so Joseph explained it again in the Wentworth letter, published as "Church History" in the Times and Seasons.
These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.
Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.
(Times and Seasons III.9:707 ¶5–6)
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-march-1842/5
Joseph reiterated this statement in 1844.
These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.
Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/latter-day-saints-1844/3
For more, see https://www.mobom.org/translation-references
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