If Mormons had cocktail parties, I would probably tell this story at one: When my family lived in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney served as our stake president.

Yes, yes, THE Mitt Romney. It was, of course, before his stint at the Salt Lake Olympics and his gubernatorial term.

One night, my parents were at Blockbuster and they happened to run into President Romney. They chatted for a bit, and my parents mentioned they were having trouble picking a movie to rent. Much to my parents' surprise, Mitt enthusiastically suggested the 1993 Mike Meyers comedy, So I Married an Axe Murderer.

Can you believe it?! GOVERNOR Mitt Romney watching a Mike Meyers movie!

It's hilarious!

It's crazy!

It's probably the worst story I've ever told.

Yes, I freely admit that on its own merits, that story is terrible. In fact, I'm not even sure it qualifies as a "story." And yet, every time I tell it in an LDS setting, my audience responds with wide eyes, big laughs and lots of excitedly incredulous expressions like, "Really?" and "No way!"

That's because it involves a famous Mormon.

You see, in the LDS world, stories that revolve around people like Mitt Romney, Steve Young and Donny Osmond do not require the typical elements that usually make for good conversational anecdotes (e.g. "plots"). As long as a renowned Latter-day Saint is mentioned, the story is deemed acceptable.

But why?

Well, for one thing, there's the natural human impulse to name drop. All of us -- Mormon and non-Mormon alike -- want other people to think we're important. It's why we fake cell phone calls in public, exaggerate our blog posts and wear neckties to college classes.

Mentioning an encounter with a celebrity is just another way to convince people that you run with important, powerful and influential crowds.

But I think it goes beyond that. Mormons seem more prone than most to bring up their connections to acclaimed acquaintances, and I think we are especially drawn to discussing the celebrities that come from our own ranks.

Case in point: My wife text messaged me this morning to ask what I was writing my column about, and I told her I was focusing on Mormons who brag about knowing other, famous Mormons.

"I know (Philadelphia Eagles coach) Andy Reid, (Fox News anchor) Glenn Beck, (Boston Celtics General Manager) Danny Ainge and let's say Sister Julie B. Beck (General Relief Society President) because she got us a wedding present," she responded.

Later, I asked her why she had seemingly memorized that list, and she explained that it had come in handy while attending high school in Pennsylvania.

Apparently, the student body at Downingtown West High School had collectively decided that Mormons were weird, so when Annie moved there as a junior, she found herself inadvertently fighting some well-accepted social stereotypes.

"I just liked to tell people about the famous Mormons I knew because I thought it would make them think I was less weird," she half-joked.

And I think that's the main reason for our fascination with Mormon celebrities. In a church that has long suffered from a persecution complex, we often find ourselves seeking worldly validation by touting the secular accomplishments of our fellow Latter-day Saints.

Of course, it may not be wise to bank too much on the Mitt Romneys and Donny Osmonds of the world for credibility. After all, worldly popularity is an elusive quality, and besides, not every well-known Mormon exemplifies Christlike standards.

But as long as there are famous Mormons, we will be telling famous Mormon stories as we sip our virgin cocktails.

By the way, I've got a great one about Danny Ainge. Remind me to tell you about it sometime...