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I said:God created you, that is where his authority comes from. You then say:You simply beg the question. I ask where the buck stops here God is, and you cite the "creator" issue.

Issue? Do you dispute that he created you? That's like my Mom (everybody remember their Mom this weekend!) responding to me, "Mom, where'd ya get your authority (to discipline me)." Now she might not have, once upon a time, put up with discipline avoidance techniques if that question was posed prior to imposition of discipline.

But if I'm having an adult convo w/her years after the fact; and if we're having a discussion about the "philosophy of discipline," then she would need to answer me in a transparent manner. She can't just say (like you said in effect) and beg the question. She can't just say: "I procreated you, and that is where my authority came from."

My mom still would say that today.

Because while on the surface that's true, that kind of authority could lead to her thinking: "I procreated him, and I can 'unprocreate' via abortion or whatever after birth."

Are you denying that God can destroy you with a thought? He has disciplined by death in the past, and he does not change.

No parent has absolute authority in such a way if they are subject to another higher power.

You are the one asserting now that God does not have absolute authority?

Just for the record Mormons believe that God not only created us, but supports us form moment to moment even while we are sinning or we would die immediately. God can and has every right to “uncreate” us and there is no one to stop him for he has ultimate authority over us.

You seem to like to ask “Tar baby” questions. There is no question that can be asked that can’t be answered unless you cannot understand the answer. If you find yourself getting answers you cannot understand, do not just ask the same question over again, back up and ask simpler questions.

JFTR People who ask questions and don’t understand the answer, often complain of spin or obfuscation. I have not done that, I have answered your question.

Are you denying that God can destroy you with a thought? He has disciplined by death in the past, and he does not change.

I am asserting that if I am dealing with an entity who is not the highest of beings, then there's always an "appelate" divine court somewhere. Now if there's no "higher" being that him, the buck stops there. And all absolute authority is there.

No parent has absolute authority in such a way if they are subject to another higher power. [Me] You are the one asserting now that God does not have absolute authority? [You]

No. I am saying I am consistent in my view of God. He has absolute authority. He reports to no one. He has reported to anyone, as the unanswered questions he shoots out in rapid fashion toward the end of the book of Job indicates.

I don't believe you can say this simple phrase: "My heavenly father has never reported to anyone." I believe that you believe, along with all other true LDS adherers, that every question that God throws out toward the end of the book of Job could be answered by another god amongst the "council of gods"--the "divine council of gods" Joe Smith told you about.

Again, I do not base this on my own "opinion" of Mormonism. I base it on words emitted by your own prophets through the years...words like this phrase:

"The Prophet [Joseph Smith] taught that our Father had a Father and so on..." -- Joseph Fielding Smith (LDS prophet)

As long as there are "so on" gods, there's a thread of authority that runs "so forth" but who knows where (and who knows if such a thread even ever ends)