As soon as you create a layer mask, it acts on the image. The command allows you to suspend this action. When you click on the menu entry, a check is displayed next to it and the border of the layer mask's thumbnail in the Layers Dialog turns red.
You can access this command from the image menubar through → → ,
or by holding down the Ctrl key (Ctrl+Alt on some systems) and single-clicking on the layer mask's thumbnail in the Layers Dialog.
You can undo this action by unchecking the menu entry in the → menu or by Ctrl-clicking (or Ctrl+Alt -clicking) again on the layer mask's thumbnail.