Well written Terry
I think the most relevant explanation to the Rutherford qestion was this....
Clearly and forcefully J.F.Rutherford had taken a
small group of Adventist bible students enamoured of Pastor Russell's
chronology and pyramidology and compacted them into a mind-control cult
obsessed with proper behavior and adherence to rules, regulations and
quirky interpretations from a central authority.
Rutherford wanted complete control over people minds, thoughts and behavior and I think from him the foundation of a highly controlling religoius cult was formulated.
Yes follow me for I am the anointed one, I am the FDSL, god channels his spirit directly to me, through me one achieves righteousness in the eyes of god.
What Rutherford created was a religoius publishing house that used alluring tactics of fear, exploiting people's ignorance of secular knowledge and about what the bible really says, all endeavored to exploit people for labor and money.