The Watch Tower 1880, April, pg.94 states that Russell and others, had been celebrating the Passover or Memorial for several years
prior to 1880. In 1880 they met in the home of W.H. Conley
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It has for several years been the custom of many of us
here in Pittsburgh to do this; i. e., remember the Passover, and
eat the emblems of our Lord's body and blood, and it has ever
been an occasion of solemn pleasure and communion, and was
particularly so this year.
We met on the night of March 24th, as usual, at the house of Brother and Sister Conley (it being the most commodious) ; and ate together the unleavened bread-eating, meantime "the truth" which it symbolized, viz:
That Jesus was unleavened (without sin), holy, harmless, undefiled,
and therefore food "of which, if a man eat, he shall never die." We said, with Paul, "Christ, our Passover is slain; therefore, let us keep the feast."
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This suggests that Russell felt he was of the anointed before the incorporation of the Watchtower Society in 1884. Russell and others felt of the anointed under the direction of W.H. Conley.
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