Rebel8, I agree with your last post.
West, I'm sure you're referring to Seventh-Day Adventists. Russell wrote that he had nothing to do with them and was not familiar with the teachings and writings of Ellen White. Russell always gave credit to his 2nd Adventist heritage, mentioning men like Barbour and Storrs in the highest regard.
kid-A,
: 1) a grave monument covered in masonic images
But from a biblical standpoint. I've also read that the property became owned by Masons and their lodge built there after Russell was buried on that plot. The pyramid near his grave also says he was the LAODICEAN MESSENGER or something like that. I'm pretty sure a real Mason wouldn't regard that pyramid as being "covered in masonic images," and obviously Russell didn't set out to recruit Masons into his organization; he called them his "friends," while admitting he was quite ignorant of their beliefs and practices.
2) his early literature festooned with masonic symbols
As others have pointed out, that was all the rage in the late 19th century. It helps prove nothing other than Russell was contemporary with a bunch of other wackos.
3) his obsession with pyramidology, a specialty of turn-of-the-century free masonry.
Not really pyramidology, but the Great Pyramid. As noted, he considered it a "Bible" itself, and used its measurements and features to correspond with the Bible. His teachings were based primarily on scripture, not pyramids.
This is much ado about nothing. Read the links I provided a page or two back and see for yourself what Russell wrote and said and what the Bible Students themselves interpreted his words to mean. There is very little basis on which to conclude that Russell had anything to do with Freemasonry.
