Well here is the thing the early religion did have a lot of similarities to the Masons. The religion did use a lot of the symbology of the Masons and were also into pyramidology. Maybe Russell just took all this from the Adventists who knows. In the end cults like the JWs and Mormons only give Jesus lip service and the Masons were definitely not into Jesus because they knew who he really was.
Today the jws have given up all Masonic symbols but still meet in halls and still just give lip service to and about Jesus. Thier really not a Christian sect thier a old Testament based religion worshipping the god of the Old Testament.