"then please explain how I am mistaken."
This sounds like the national election process in which other people's viewpoints are "falsehoods."   I think EGW told us that the GC was not the highest authority at times.  Do you want those quotes?  I would say one's conscience is their highest authority when based on the Bible as a whole and not selected texts.  Otherwise we have a papacy in my  opinion.  In your last paragraph there seems to be a discrepancy in dates.