Why would an adherent to Judaism study the Mishnah instead of just going straight to Talmud study thereby getting Mishnah and the Gemara at the same time?

Answer 1

The Mishnah is written in Hebrew with an occasional Aramaic or Greek word thrown in. The Gemara is in Aramaic. The Mishnah predated the Jerusalem Talmud by about 100 years and the Babylonian Talmud by about 300 years. The Mishnah was the first written codification of the oral law. It is basically an outline that is explained in greater depth in Gemara. Younger school children who are familiar with Hebrew can learn the Mishnah and develop a broad general understanding of the commandments, and later delve into the "why's" of why the Mishnah concluded a law derived from a specific verse results in such and such a case. See Maimonides introduction to the "Mishne Torah for more information.